Open source is not free — it is only free as in freedom

[Kanonimpresor]

A Collective Proposal to Revitalize e107

Hi everyone,

I'm Martin, a web developer from Portugal. I'm not a professional programmer — I'm self-taught, currently learning with the help of AI, and I've already built and deployed my own e107 plugins (contact form, cookie consent, testimonials). I use e107 as the foundation for client websites through my small agency, and I genuinely believe it is one of the most flexible and underrated CMS platforms available today.

After reading the recent discussions, especially the contributions from Deltik and Jimmi08, I felt compelled to put forward a collective proposal. Not a dream — a realistic, actionable plan.

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Why e107 is still relevant

• It is the best platform for implementing a raw HTML template as a theme — no imposed frameworks, no bloat.
• It works as a true framework for developers who want full control without the complexity of Laravel.
• There is a real niche: agencies and clients who actively reject WordPress and need a PHP-based alternative.
• With AI assistance, the barrier to contributing has dropped significantly — even non-professionals can now write, test, and document code.

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The core problems (as I see them)

1. No shared roadmap — everyone works in their own direction.
2. Critical PHP 8 incompatibilities in core and plugins blocking adoption.
3. Lack of documentation — no user guides, no developer guides, no onboarding for newcomers.
4. No central plugin repository with quality standards.
5. Communication gaps — language barriers, unexplained breaking changes, no regular updates to the community.
6. No sustainability model — open source is not free, and contributors burn out without recognition or support.

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Proposed Action Plan

Phase 1 — Communication & Structure

• Open a dedicated Discord server (or similar) for real-time collaboration.
• Define a public roadmap with community voting on priorities.
• Assign clear roles: core maintainers, plugin developers, documentation writers, translators.
• Publish a monthly update/newsletter to keep the community engaged.

Phase 2 — Documentation

• Launch a collaborative documentation site (GitBook, Docusaurus, or similar).
• Establish a minimum standard: every plugin must include a README, declared compatibility, and a basic user guide.
• Create beginner-friendly tutorials and short videos for key features.

Phase 3 — Technical Priorities

• Full PHP 8 compatibility as a non-negotiable milestone.
• Clean separation of admin and frontend themes (as proposed in this discussion).
• A curated, rated plugin repository with quality and security standards.

Phase 4 — Sustainability

• Set up GitHub Sponsors or Open Collective for transparent funding.
• Explore optional premium plugins or support services to fund core development.
• Partner with hosting providers to offer e107 as a pre-installed option.

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What I can contribute

I can help with documentation, plugin development, testing, and community outreach — particularly reaching the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking developer communities, which are largely untapped for e107.

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A word about what we are leaving behind

There are countless plugins and documents that were never finished — left halfway, abandoned mid-development. And there are countless developers whose names I still see in old threads and repositories, people who were once deeply committed and have since moved on.

I understand that people change. Life moves forward. But the work, the time, the effort, and the dedication that went into this project cannot be dismissed or forgotten.

Your plugin — your work — does not deserve to be forgotten.

I want to help change the mindset of some people. Just as the era of installing a CMS with hundreds of plugins is over, so too must our relationship with open source evolve. Open source is not free — it is only free as in freedom. It costs time, expertise, and dedication. And that deserves respect.

e107 doesn't need thousands of contributors. It needs 10 to 15 committed people with clear roles, fluid communication, and a shared roadmap. Jimmi08 and Deltik are already doing the hard work. I believe there are more of us out there — we just need a place to gather and a plan to follow.

Who is with me?

— Martin / KreativeKey

[Jimmi08]

Hi,
I am Jane, from Slovakia. I am for Discord.

For your information:

Documentation:

https://devguide.e107.org/
https://userguide.e107.org

There is an issue where you can report if something is not correct (original was from e107.org)
Moc is/was the maintainer of those docs. I no longer use the official docs on e107.org.

My personal stuff related to documentation:
https://playground.e107sk.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@JMSupportSk/playlists

We have a hosting provider that supports e107 installation, but as you can see, very outdated

Plugins
https://github.com/Jimako-e107-plugins
I am trying to fork every plugin I am aware of to this repo - it is just a separate organization to not mess up with my own repos.
Many of my plugins are private, but I don't have any issues sharing them with people I know.

Themes
This was Alex's idea, not mine. We both have MIT licence for this: https://tabler.io/
He is using it for the admin theme, I for the new frontend theme.

Core
I have a system in naming that maybe only I understand, but I will try:
e107 Lite - e107 as framework, I am trying to use cherry-pick to be up to 2.4 if I understand what was done and why, I am creating an issue to know what I changed and why. It is used for development only. Separating the backend theme was really important for the future. I can't explain why, but now everything makes sense, no confusion for me as before.

e107 SK - stable repo/version of e107 Lite used for synchronization with live site on shared hosting (git command is not available) - this repo is my final goal

e107 SP - it is a version for Spinning Planet from New Zealand. As soon as I solve the differences between e107 Lite and e107 SP, only e107 SK will be used for the core. The main one is a different user registration way - it is missing from the core, but is needed more and more.

e107 UN - newest version is fully compatible with e107 SK, and UN Nuke is just a leftover that I am replacing with e107 code. The older version has to be updated... switch priority from Nuke to e107... not so easy

e107 WR = e107 SK + real estate solutions. I am updating Real Estate CMS from 2011 as e107 plugins....

e107 ST = e107 SK + specialized timetracker plugins

Can you see a pattern? Stable minimalized core and dedicated plugins for the site's goal. Do I dislike the core contact plugin? No issue, I can delete it and use my own. The same for news, gallery, etc.

I think it is enough information. I will support you, but I don't have time or energy to start again.

[rica-carv]

Indeed, i'm also a self thaught PT "programmer", and "bended" e107 at my will, when no other CMS could do what i want.
I got a lot of private plugins that i use on my own, and some shared here on github, with some "upgrades / update" to the e107 core / plugins.

I try to help when i can, but i got a day job different from computers, so my time is somehow limited.
For instance, i started all this a few decades ago...

You can try to boost e107, but as it is now, it's stalled (just see how many pull requests i got here still unapproved since 2024...), and the CMS market quota of e107 is too small...

Anyway, i might support, but as i see it right now, it's like David against 100x Golias...