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TYPO3 Article

Life after FAIR? Don’t despair. The pivot to TYPO3 could unlock the future of open source CMS

matt-garrepy

<hr /><h4 id="snapshot">Snapshot</h4><ul><li>Drupal, Joomla, TYPO3, and WordPress have formed the new Open Website Alliance</li><li>The organization coalesced after the group penned an open letter to the EU regarding the Cybersecurity Resilience Act</li><li>This marks the first leadership-led coordination to establish a shared structure around common values</li><li>Goals focus on supporting the advancement of FOSS and leading with a “choose open source first” message</li><li>Future plans include greater collaboration and the development of open source standards and best practices</li></ul> The term alliance receives a fair amount of love in technology circles. It makes perfect sense: software companies and organizations have long relied on partnerships to build awareness and grow channel relationships, and having friends can make it easier to scale. One might call such agreements “pacts” or “treaties,” especially if the partnership is between two competitors – or my favorite permutation, cuspetitors. But alliance evokes something distinctly positive. A spirit of assembling strengths, building consensus, elevating numbers, and rallying around a common vision or goal.Of course, as a well-documented Star Wars fan (read any of my previous pieces, I guarantee there's a nod in most), I can’t help but associate alliance with the idea of rebelling against something, of bringing unlikely bedfellows together to stand against an existential threat… like an Empire. Sometimes, it's a bit of David versus Goliath – Luke versus Vader – and there’s an implied scrappiness to that. One that’s indelible to the ethos of the cause.In the case of the new Open Website Alliance, an interesting confluence of ideologies is at play. The newly formed cabal betwixt the world’s leading open source CMSs – <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/joomla">Joomla</a>, <a href="TYPO3">TYPO3</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a> – is very clear in its charter to advance open source interests. But there’s more, and it has to do with the very real challenges that exist for these platforms in an uncertain future of regulatory governance.To get an inside view of the freshly-minted alliance, I spoke to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathias-bolt-lesniak/">Mathias Bolt Lesniak</a> – an open source evangelist at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.toujou.com/">toujou</a>, a SaaS website building platform with TYPO3 services based in Norway. Mathias also has TYPO3 in his DNA; he is a previous consultant for the organization, a key part of the TYPO3 association, and a leading voice for the Open Website Alliance. I’d say a trusty blaster is good in any fight. But Star Wars references aside, an alliance is a solid place to start when building a movement. And if any part of the CMS market is focused on “freeing the system,” it’s the open source community. <h3 id="building-on-a-coordinated-response-to-the-eu’s-cyber-resilience-act">Building on a coordinated response to the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act</h3>Perhaps it’s apropos that <a target="_blank" href="https://typo3.org/project/press/press-releases/open-website-alliance/english">TYPO3’s press release</a> announcing the Open Website Alliance was issued from Switzerland. The idea of “neutral ground” further reinforces the compact that connects these otherwise competitive CMSs – which collectively power 50% of all online websites today.As the press release points out, the Open Website Alliance was founded to promote choice across the open source software marketplace and facilitate collaboration between free and open source (FOSS) web content management projects – thus furthering the core values of openness, trust, and quality. But where did this air of collaboration begin? As Mathias pointed out, the Alliance owes its genesis to a coordinated response from the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.drupal.org/association">Drupal Association</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.opensourcematters.org/">Open Source Matters (Joomla)</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://typo3.org/project/association">TYPO3 Association</a>, and the <a target="_blank" href="https://wordpress.org/">WordPress Project</a>. The organizations pooled their collective resources to pen an <a target="_blank" href="https://typo3.org/project/press/press-releases/open-letter-to-eu-legislators/english">open letter to the European Union</a> regarding its concerns about the EU’s proposed <a target="_blank" href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/cyber-resilience-act">Cyber Resilience Act</a>. “The Open Website Alliance started out with this letter to the EU,” Mathias said. “We weren't an alliance six months ago, but that was really when Drupal, Joomla, TYPO3, and WordPress got together at a leadership level to do something together. Because we shared a concern – and we had shared values. Of course, there's been collaborations between our communities previously, but this was really the first time that we met on a leadership level – board members and executives, meeting together on one call.<hr /><h4 style="text-align:center" id="“i-think-if-you-want-an-open-web,-you-also-want-to-work-differently-with-your-partners-or-friends-in-open-source.”">“I think if you want an open web, you also want to work differently with your partners or friends in open source.”</h4><hr />At question was the Act’s ban on what it classified as ”unfinished software” and a bevy of muddled definitions surrounding “commercial activity.” In the original text, there's an implicit obligation for software to address all known exploitable vulnerabilities, and maintain a secure default configuration. The latter is particularly problematic, as there’s no way of knowing where and how open source software will be used in projects.  With FOSS products unaccounted for in the original language, open source systems could be liable for safety and security in an untenable manner. These regulations – while viewed as important for maintaining security standards – could potentially hamper European innovation and, as TYPO3 pointed out, drive activity toward U.S. tech giants.“With the Cyber Resilience Act, we discovered there was a real danger for operating as a nonprofit, free and open source content management system – and within the EU, that might actually become very, very hard,” Mathias reflected. “And what hadn't been mentioned yet were two things: first, content management systems within the EU actually represent a little more than half of all websites. Many small to medium-sized businesses use our systems – also larger ones – but that means it would have a great financial impact. The other thing that we saw was that being free and open source means we have certain values, things that we believe in, like openness and free speech. These values very much aligned with the core values of the European Union, so we thought it was an important message to give. It isn't just about business, it's also about the values behind what we do.”The open letter to the EU was issued in July of 2023. In early December, the language of the Cyber Resilience Act was agreed upon, paving the way for its adoption this year – and obligations being phased in through late 2025 and into 2027. As the Act continues to unfold, the Open Website Alliance aims to stand in solidarity against any measures that might impact their collective viability – and together, help shape solutions for all open source communities. <h3 id="collaborating-at-a-leadership-level">Collaborating at a leadership level</h3>In addition to the general community participation, the Alliance is guiding its breadth of members on a leadership level. This means the respective organizations can more easily coordinate on strategy and actions, creating a unified platform that powers new and existing cross-community collaboration projects.Leadership of the organization is also based on collaboration. While by-laws and other institutional practices have not yet fully gestated, the presidency will rotate among the members, and all decisions will be consensus-based. That said, it is by no means an established authority with centralized control or governance. Given that, I asked Mathias how he might describe its makeup and structure. “The Open Website Alliance is a very simple construction,” he relayed. “It doesn't have a formal legal body, so it’s more of a collaboration space – a community of communities, as we say. So it’s up to each member to do what the Alliance encourages.” While still nascent, Mathias did share that some of the operational components of the Alliance are already taking form. As someone who has been involved with numerous associations like this – including the well-established <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/mach-alliance-publishes-first-annual-report-showcases-industry-impact-and-plans-for-2024">MACH Alliance</a>, which shares common traits with this new organization – I’ve seen how the right operational bedrock is key to building success.<h3 id="expanding-to-include-other-open-source-cmss">Expanding to include other open source CMSs</h3>I asked Mathias about the roadmap beyond the quintet of founders. While the four open source software communities represent a significant part of the market, many other technologies have embraced FOSS. As part of its charter, he said that the Open Website Alliance is also encouraging other FOSS CMS platforms to apply for membership.“We have seen interest from other free and open source projects or content management systems that would like to join the Alliance,” Mathias reported. “So it's open for anyone who has an <a target="_blank" href="https://opensource.org/">OSI (Open Source Initiative)</a> and a verifiable free and open source license. But in addition to that, the charter also specifies that members have to agree to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.drupal.org/association/open-web-manifesto">Open Web Manifesto</a>, which I know that Drupal and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/buytaert/">Dries Buytaert</a> (CTO and founder of Drupal and Acquia) have been promoting previously.”It's true: the vision of a free and modular web has long been part of the open source zeitgeist, due in no small part to the contributions of Dries Buytaert and the Drupal community. As Mathias said, the Alliance has taken the core Drupal manifesto and generalized it – a bit – to render it less specific to a single platform, and more reflective of the Alliance makeup.“I think if you want an open web, you also want to work differently with your partners or friends in the open source.”<h3 id="standing-together-for-open-source">Standing together for open source</h3>The <a target="_blank" href="https://typo3.org/fileadmin/t3o_common_storage/documents/press_releases/2024-02_Open_Website_Alliance/Open_Website_Alliance_Charter.pdf">purpose statement</a> the Alliance has developed provides the most basic tenets of its goals. It states, “members commit to jointly encourage prospective website owners and developers to always choose open source software over proprietary systems, and to educate why this decision is the first and most important one in a website project. Through this advocacy, we are expanding opportunities for all open source CMS projects.”As previously noted, the collaboration also seeks to benefit the public perception of open source projects – that they lean on the reliability of open source software, and are supported by the “quality and safety of open source communities.” This community aspect is key, as it speaks to the potential for members to share and discuss best practices in an open source vein. But there’s more. Accounting for the distributed and collaborative nature of open-source software – even beyond content management – the Alliance strives to support the growing reality of upstream dependencies. I asked Mathias to elaborate on this, and he focused on the evolving need for standards.“We see upstream dependencies that are increasingly dependent on much of the same technology, but in different ways,” he said. “That will be interesting as soon as we get in Alliance members that don't use PHP, but I think it's also at an idea level. If you look at what the European Union is doing today, they are putting requirements on people who work with open source, just as they do with closed source – and that means we have to develop standards. We have to develop common ways so that we're not all standing by ourselves when there's suddenly a [new] requirement for data interchange, which is a part of the new data regulation."By being proactive, Mathias believes the open source communities of interest can now plan more effectively and coordinate how they work. Through consensus, they can agree on suitable standards to help govern things like security and maintenance, which involve increasingly more upstream dependencies. “It means that we have to care just as much about each other as we care about the systems that we use.”<h3 id="what’s-next?">What’s next?</h3>As someone who has built and managed projects in both Drupal and WordPress, I’m deeply familiar with the advantages and disadvantages. Regardless of their inherent differences – or how proprietary systems might challenge them – I’ve always viewed their “open sourceness” as an innate strength. Perhaps the most valuable asset for each is its fiercely loyal community, which represents the real power and potential for the Open Source Alliance to realize change at an industry and regulatory level. When I make the obvious comparison to other industry alliances, I can’t help but think of lofty goals woven around voluminous mission statements. But open source is a different beast, beating its own drum and operating at times like a distributed hive mind. The users and contributors are vast and diverse, and the wheels of change often grind more slowly in these corners. At the same time, they're also tacitly independent – part of its democratic appeal, in truth – and that could stymie the adoption of rules and practices.I asked Mathias a logical question: what’s ahead? What do the next 12 months look like? His answer was refreshing – because it was simple and honest:“We don't have that written down,” he said, “but there are things we are talking about at a leadership level. Having an Alliance means that it's much easier for us to say, well, we want to do something together to improve how we standardize security, and then that can be disseminated from a leadership level down into the community. Another is a very simple thing, and that is attending each other's conferences. I've been attending a few other CMS conferences, and there is so much we can learn just from how our communities are organized. So community best practices are a very important thing to improve quality. We have good quality, but we can always improve on that.”For Mathias, education is also a big part of the equation. From his perspective, shifting the narrative is paramount, and leading with an “open source first” mentality is key to helping businesses, agencies, and users make better decisions. “I had the idea that what we need to do is educate the bits,” he said. “Tell people first what open source is instead of haggling about which system is best versus proprietary. So we agreed to collaborate on promoting open source as sort of a ‘white label’ thing that incorporates a lot of benefits that are common [to] all our systems, and that's where choosing open source first came in. We encourage decision-makers who are looking for content management systems to make that choice first. And once they're there, they have a lot more choice.”Mathias reinforced that collaboration underscores everything, and how the founding systems and communities are going beyond sharing best practices and working to understand each other better. “We think it's a benefit for all open source that we know each other, and that we can help every client choose the best open source CMS or find the best agency that has the experience that they need.”Alliances often present themselves as business opportunities. But sometimes, they emerge at a moment of great change or crisis, when hope is running low and great threats stand in the way of progress. When considering the more altruistic motives of open source – of the free and open web – it’s clear that this new alliance is focused on more than just the financial implications of impending regulation. In this case, open source is more like an open force for good – and one to be reckoned with.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a></h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

Drupal, Joomla, TYPO3, and WordPress Join Forces in New Open Website Alliance

The open source content management system <a href="http://typo3.org/" target="_blank">TYPO3 CMS</a> is available for Microsoft Azure effective immediately.
<a href="http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/" target="_blank">Microsoft Azure</a> is the Microsoft cloud solution for enterprises looking to integrate on-premises apps and data, whereas TYPO3 is a free and open-source web content management framework based on PHP. The Swiss software company was founded in 2004.
According to the TYPO3 Association, more than 500,000 active websites worldwide use TYPO3 CMS.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/typo3-logo-webdesign-duisburg1-1_400x0.png" alt="Typo3" />
Microsoft Azure customers now have total access to TYPO3 CMS on the Azure Web App Gallery. Naturally, this will enable such users to build, manage and/or adapt complex websites. Additionally, they can now easily change system requirements through autoscaling.
Peter Jaeger, the Senior Director Developer Experience &amp; Evangelism (DX), and Member of the Management Board of Microsoft, Germany, had this to say:
<blockquote>“Microsoft is increasingly embracing open source applications for the company‘s platforms and solutions. This is because we do not attach priority to technologies, but to people who wish to be productive across platforms and devices.
In recent months, we have made several development tools like .NET open source, thereby intensifying our collaboration with the open source community.
Deployments of TYPO3 on our Microsoft cloud platform Windows Azure are another step towards the community: not only do we address developers, but also many thousands of web designers and website administrators who benefit from Azure as a high-performance, secure and easily scalable platform.”</blockquote>
For more information on this integration, check out <a href="http://typo3.org/news/article/typo3-cms-now-available-for-microsoft-azure/" target="_blank">TYPO3's official announcement</a>.
Also, you can explore more of <a href="/products/typo3/" target="_blank">TYPO3 via our CMS Directory</a>.

TYPO3 CMS Now Available For Microsoft Azure

mike-johnston

<img title="typo3" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/typo3-150x150_bfwyyo.png" style="max-width:150px" />The TYPO3 core team has just released TYPO3 version 4.3.3, which is now ready for you to download. It is a maintenance release of the current stable branch 4.3 and contains bugfixes and security fixes.
IMPORTANT: This version includes important security fixes to the TYPO3 core. A security announcement has just been released: 
<a href="http://typo3.org/teams/security/security-bulletins/typo3-sa-2010-008/" target="_blank">http://typo3.org/teams/security/security-bulletins/typo3-sa-2010-008/</a>
For details about the release, see: 
<a href="http://wiki.typo3.org/index.php/TYPO3_4.3.3" target="_blank">http://wiki.typo3.org/index.php/TYPO3_4.3.3</a>

Typo3 4.3.3 Security Release available

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/typo3-150x150_bfwyyo.png" style="max-width:150px" />
TYPOlight version 2.8.2 is available. The maintenance release updates TinyMCE, TCPDF and MooTools More to their latest versions and includes a couple of new callbacks and hooks. It also fixes a potential request forgery vulnerability in the back end, therefore it is recommended to update.
<h2>Updated plugins</h2>
The following plugins have been updated:
<ul>
<li>TinyMCE to version 3.3.2</li>
<li>TCPDF to version 4.9.011</li>
<li>MooTools More to version 1.2.4.4</li>
</ul>
<h2>New interfaces</h2>
The following DCA callbacks and hooks have been added:
<ul>
<li>oncut_callback: Calls a custom function when a record is moved.</li>
<li>oncopy_callback: Calls a custom function when a record is duplicated.</li>
<li>addComment hook: Is executed when a comment is added.</li>
<li>loadDataContainer hook: Is executed when a Data Container Array is loaded.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Important bug fixes</h2>
The following issues have been fixed (for a complete list, please refer to the ticket system):
<ul>
<li>The PDF export function partially generated wrong links.</li>
<li>The custom navigation module was not displayed in certain situations.</li>
<li>The Config class incorrectly treated certain text values as numbers.</li>
<li>The news and event modules did not override the page meta description.</li>
<li>Regular users could not move multiple content elements at once.</li>
<li>The newsletter module did not embed all images in the newsletter.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Find out what has been done</h2>
Get an overview of all changes in the <a href="http://dev.typolight.org/versions/show/28">ticket system</a> or the <a href="http://www.typolight.org/news/items/changelog.html">changelog</a>.
<a href="http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=161263">Download</a> the release at sourceforge.net.

TYPOlight 2.8.2 is available

<img style="max-width:150px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2021/07/typo3-150x150_bfwyyo.png" />
Heads up for Typo3 users: A critical security issue has been found in Typo3. All versions of TYPO3 4.3.x are affected by the flaw. According to the Typo3 website, they will release TYPO3 4.3.3 and publish mitigation advice together with a security bulletin on <a href="http://typo3.org/teams/security/security-bulletins/" target="_blank">http://typo3.org</a> on Friday, April 9 at 11:00 am CEST (9:00 am GMT).
Since this is a very important security fix, please be prepared to update your TYPO3 installations on Friday.
No further information is available at this time.

The TYPO3 security team has identified a critical security issue in the TYPO3 core

The latest version of <a href="http://typo3.org/" target="_blank">TYPO3 CMS</a> has arrived, and it's a big one, both technically and visually.
TYPO3 is a free and open source web content management framework based on PHP. The Swiss software company was founded in 2004.
Let's take a look at what TYPO3 CMS 7 brings to the table.
<h2>Speedier &amp; Far Better Looking</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/backend700x0.png" alt="TYPO3 CMS 7" />
According to the TYPO3 team, their main focus with this release was to clean up the back end – both technically and visually.
First of all, it’s the fastest release in TYPO3’s history. It now features twice as many merges in the same time frame into the current codebase than previous releases did. This has been achieved thanks to TYPO3 replacing their previous combination of PHP, HTML and CSS, simplifying Javascript and optimizing PHP.
Also, TYPO3's “new” core now runs Twitter Bootstrap under the hood. Not only does this make everything look a little better, but it also gives TYPO3 more an “app style” appearance.
Buttons that initiate actions are now clearly marked as such, the color scheme is more streamlined, and comes with less distraction in general. By using this new icon set, all icons look ultra-crisp even when scaling up the back end or using hi-dpi or retina displays.
Speaking of scaling, the first important steps have been made to make TYPO3 CMS’ back end mobile ready, which is something TYPO3 want to introduce at some point in the future.
<h2>A HTML Crusade</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/backend-list700x0.png" alt="TYPO3 CMS 7" />
The TYPO3 team also started what they referred to as a, “crusade to make the HTML markup of the backend more clean and semantically ready.”
What sounds rather technical at first is in fact a very big deal for editors – simply because the aim is to get the back end to behave more organically.
The same thing goes for all forms in the back end. A new, better markup for form fields (which will pave the way for adding a lot of accessibility features in TYPO3) is also being laboured over.
For more information on TYPO3 CMS 7, <a href="http://typo3.org/" target="_blank">check out their website</a>, and their <a href="http://typo3.org/news/article/the-typo3-community-publishes-typo3-cms-70-a-new-version-of-its-free-content-management-system/" target="_blank">blog announcement</a>.
Also, you can explore more of <a href="/products/typo3/" target="_blank">TYPO3 via our CMS Directory</a>.

Faster & Cleaner: TYPO3 CMS 7 Released

Best Video Experience

Give your audience the best video experience

#000000

<a href="http://typo3.org/" target="_blank">TYPO3</a> has unveiled the latest Long-Term-Support version of TYPO3, the enterprise content management version.
The free and open-source platform was born in Denmark, back in 1997. Today, it boasts a global community of users and contributing developers.
<img style="max-width:250px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/typo3_logo_safearea-1.png" />
This new version will be supported for three years (until August 2017) with maintenance and bug fixes. Let's take a look at what's new.
<h2>Better Looking &amp; Quadruple the Speed</h2>
TYPO3 has proudly put their new backend interface forward as this update's “most striking feature”.
According to them, the new interface allows editors and integrators to work more efficiently thanks to a tidier login screen, simpler structures and the integration of previously distributed components.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/modal_-_discard_unsaved_changes560x0-is.png" /> 
Furthermore, customized images and buttons highlight actions and information boxes. All forms, tables, sections and messages are based on a uniform look and feel.
All editors and administrators can now insert an avatar image to personalize their access. The dial-in screen, the TYPO3 logo and all styles can now be replaced by a project-specific layout.
Typo3 is now responsive, too, allowing for content to be edited on touch-based mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. Plus, the entire platform is running up to four times faster
<h2>New Features for Editors, Administrators &amp; Developers</h2>
Content editors have some new features to get to grips with, too.
Working with online media such as YouTube or Vimeo Videos is easier, while links, which now comes with previews, can now be referenced under “Text and Media”.
Images can be cropped in the backend without the file being changed. Plus, if a file upload will overwrite existing files, you can specify whether multiple files should be moved, renamed or be skipped by performing an action.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/image_manipulation652x0-is.png" />
As for Administrators, they can now load the TYPO3 sources and all of the required extensions via the standardized PHP Package Manager “Composer.”
A central information system shows important system features in the latest version at a glance. In addition, backend user groups can be managed just like individual users in a separate module.
Developers haven't been ignored either.
Thanks to a completely new approach to the backend interface that is based on Twitter Bootstrap 3, LESS/CSS3, HTML5, RequireJS and jQuery, TYPO3 CMS 7 makes it easier to add individual modules with simultaneous use of all standard rendering definitions and adapted, ready-to-use components.
More can be found out about this update from the <a href="http://typo3.org/news/article/announcing-typo3-cms-7-lts/" target="_blank">TYPO3 blog announcement</a>.
Plus, you can explore more of <a href="/products/typo3/" target="_blank">TYPO3 via our CMS Directory</a>.

TYPO3 CMS 7 LTS Has Arrived

Europe's <a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/cyber-resilience-act" target="_blank">Cyber Resilience Act</a> (CRA) has been a lightning rod of hope and controversy for some time. The proposal, which would regulate cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements, is meant to bolster rules for hardware and software and help enhance security in a world of evolving threats.
The CRA legislation targets a broad array of categories, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, computers, smartphones, and applications – and institutes a range of new requirements for manufacturers to improve their product security. 
At the same time, the CRA has been viewed by some as a <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/05/eus-proposed-cyber-resilience-act-raises-concerns-open-source-and-cybersecurity" target="_blank">threat to open source software</a>, which has enabled innovation and fueled the growth of the modern internet. Open source projects like <a href="https://kernel.org/" target="_blank">Linux</a> and <a href="https://www.apache.org/" target="_blank">Apache</a> are used freely and integrated into a bevy of products, where they power digital services for billions of users across the globe. 
Given these concerns, representatives from <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/what-do-industry-experts-expect-for-the-drupal-10-launch-heres-what-they-told-us/">Drupal</a>, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/joomla-cms-turns-16-celebrates-with-long-awaited-release-of-version-4-0/">Joomla</a>, <a href="https://typo3.org/" target="_blank">TYPO3</a>, and <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wp-engine-releases-worlds-first-study-of-the-wordpress-economy-cites-awe-inspiring-numbers/">WordPress</a> communities have banded together to address EU legislators amid the ongoing CRA amendments process. This week, the consortium penned an open letter highlighting the possible impacts of the CRA on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software" target="_blank">Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)</a> Content Management Systems (CMS).
Combined, these four CMSes power more than half of all websites around the world and play a critical role in driving a competitive European economy and enabling cross-border collaboration.
<h2>What are the concerns for open source CMS under the CRA?</h2>
One of the core issues with the CRA deals with proposed liabilities for commercial activity that results in security vulnerabilities. This would impact open source developers who solicit support or donations, making them responsible for damages due to a security issue even if they didn't produce the product itself. Such costs could put an unfair burden on smaller shops and individual developers that can't afford the operational and administrative costs to meet these requirements. 
There's also chatter about the risks involved with a proposed 24-hour reporting mandate for disclosing actively exploited vulnerabilities – which may, ironically, result in more threats from heightened visibility and inadequate remediations. 
It goes without saying that open source content management systems have profoundly impacted the evolution of digital experiences. WordPress – the most popular in the field – powers roughly 810 million websites globally, representing <a href="https://kinsta.com/wordpress-market-share/" target="_blank">43% of the overall category</a>. CRA could irrevocably change how open source CMS platforms are used in Europe, sending a ripple effect across the software industry with myriad consequences.  
<h2>Open source matters in the CMS market</h2>
To be fair, the CRA isn't being demonized by this consortium of open source projects. As advocates for enhanced security in European hardware and software, <a href="https://www.opensourcematters.org/" target="_blank">Open Source Matters</a> (a non-profit supporting Joomla) and the FOSS CMS communities behind this letter commend the legislative goals of the CRA. However, there are concerns regarding the potential negative impact of the proposed regulations on FOSS development and innovation within the EU.
"Individuals, SMEs, and institutions will be hampered either by enormous administrative burdens or a chilling effect on their activities (and a potential rush towards the American Tech Giants) for fear of risking penalties under the CRA. [...]", the letter states. "As mentioned by many other commenters...large and enterprise-class businesses may be the only ones able to profitably sustain the administrative burden of CRA compliance, quelling EU innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic livelihoods."
The letter proposes solutions to ensure continued success and alignment with the EU's goals. This includes clarifying the CRA’s exemption for FOSS and supporting users’ rights and freedoms. The letter also emphasizes the alignment of FOSS with EU core values – including human dignity, freedom, democracy, and equality.
<h2>Meeting with stakeholders to voice concerns </h2>
The proposed CRA regulation joins a platform of digital governance that the EU is spearheading. This includes the <a href="https://www.hrpo.pitt.edu/european-union-eu-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr#:~:text=The%20General%20Data%20Protection%20Regulation,of%20individuals%20in%20the%20EEA." target="_blank">General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)</a>, which was adopted in 2016 to provide a strong data privacy framework for European citizens.
GDPR was fully enacted in 2018, and has vigilantly handed down fines to entities small and large. The CRA is following a similar track, giving the EU's cybersecurity agency real teeth to enforce policies as part of its new charter. 
Open Source Matters and the <a href="https://www.thedroptimes.com/tag/inter-cms-working-group" target="_blank">Inter-CMS Working Group</a> (ICWG) have invited EU Commission members and other stakeholders to participate in a seminar in Brussels early this fall, fostering a collaborative dialogue to address the concerns raised. The seminar presents a cooperative motion from the coalition of open source communities, with the hope that friendly dialogue and collaboration might yield changes to the proposed legislation. 
The letter was signed by:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystal-dionysopoulos/" target="_blank">Crystal Dionysopoulos</a> – President, <a href="https://opensourcematters.org/" target="_blank">Open Source Matters, Inc</a>. (Joomla)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephahaden/" target="_blank">Josepha Haden Chomphosy</a> – Executive Director, <a href="https://wordpress.org/" target="_blank">WordPress Project</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivierdobberkau/" target="_blank">Olivier Dobberkau</a> – President, <a href="https://typo3.org/project/association/" target="_blank">TYPO3 Association</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/timdoylempa/" target="_blank">Tim Doyle</a> – CEO, <a href="https://www.drupal.org/association" target="_blank">Drupal Association</a></li>
</ul>
As events unfold, more information about the debate and the proposed seminar will be shared.
To read or download the full open letter, visit <a href="https://www.joomla.org/announcements/general-news/5891-open-letter-foss-cms-cyber-resilience-act.html">https://www.joomla.org/announcements/general-news/5891-open-letter-foss-cms-cyber-resilience-act.html</a>
<h2>About Open Source Matters</h2>
Open Source Matters (OSM) is a non-profit organization that supports and promotes the Joomla! open-source project. Its mission is to empower and unite a global community of Joomla users and contributors to cultivate and sustain an innovative and reliable content management system. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.opensourcematters.org/">www.opensourcematters.org</a>.
<h2>About Drupal, Joomla, TYPO3, and WordPress</h2>
Drupal, Joomla,  TYPO3, and WordPress are leading open-source Content Management Systems (CMS) that have significantly impacted the digital landscape. Each platform boasts its unique approach to web content management, catering to diverse user needs. Despite their different approaches to building websites, they share common values, emphasizing collaboration, accessibility, and community-driven development. Together, their collective strength fosters innovation and empowers website creators worldwide.

Drupal, Joomla, TYPO3, and WordPress Address EU with Concerns over Cyber Resilience Act

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TYPO3 has released a new version of its latest product, <a href="http://neos.typo3.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Neos</a>.
Just a few days after the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/faster-cleaner-typo3-cms-7-released/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">release of TYPO3 CMS 7</a>, the Swiss platform's community has come together to release of Neos 1.2.
Neos' newly implemented functions will help make the everyday work of editors and developers much easier. For example, the Open Source Content Management System (CMS) can now be operated a lot more intuitively.
<h2>Improvements for Editors &amp; Developers</h2>
Neos 1.2 is geared toward the needs and wishes of editors and developers, no matter whether they use a PC or a tablet. The perspective of the target audience can also be understood at all times because all contents can be viewed and worked on in a channel-specific manner.
As with the previous versions, Neos relies on working on the contents directly inside the display, therefore the editor is immediately able to see all of the changes that have been made in the corrected layout. The many minor and major improvements that have been made to the working environment for the content manager, which together define a new standard for quality in this main area of digital marketing are new in version 1.2.
Here's what editors can expect to benefit from:
<ul>
<li>Easier linking of contents and pages</li>
<li>New shortcut types, including links to social media channels</li>
<li>The right documents are displayed in the right places</li>
<li>Automatic review and display of access rights</li>
<li>Re-log in dialogue shows the contents that were worked on most recently after the password is entered again</li>
<li>Content that can be used multiple times</li>
<li>Longer texts can be worked on more easily</li>
<li>Pages can be selected manually and user-defined menus can be created</li>
<li>Improvements to the publishing button</li>
<li>Optimized inspector</li>
</ul>
Also, developers can look forward to the following:
<ul>
<li>Improved HTML Editor supports various formats such as CSS or Java Script</li>
<li>NodeURI TS: Easy links from TypoScript to Nodes</li>
<li>HTTP Header: Changes in the HTTP Header from TypoScript</li>
<li>Image TS: Rendering of images and image URI development from TypoScript</li>
<li>@if: Conditions on TypoScript buttons/objects</li>
<li>Configuration module: Review of various types of configurations and display of validation errors</li>
<li>Improved import and export of websites</li>
</ul>
Although Neos 1.2 is a sizable update within itself, it also paves the way for the upcoming version 1.3 — which is already available as a preview.
Version 1.3 (planned for the spring of 2015) will being a slew of innovations, particularly in the areas administration of rolls and rights, cloud capability, integration of Google Analytics, SEO optimization, multiple languages and a localized back end.
Neos 1.2 is available for download <a href="http://neos.typo3.org/download.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">right here</a>. To find out more about Neos, <a href="http://neos.typo3.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">check out the official website</a>.<a href="http://neos.typo3.org/download.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> 
</a>
You can also explore more of TYPO3 Neos via our CMS Directory.

TYPO3 Releases Neos 1.2

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