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Standard maintenance of the Website, and keeping it current.
WOX newsletter, keeping press informed.
Our
"XOOPSer of the Month" Award is given to XOOPS members who show extraordinary dedication to XOOPS, and go the extra mile for XOOPS. Sometimes they do something spectacular, but most of the time they just do something everyday, but by doing it day-in and day-out, they make a
BIG DIFFERENCE in life of XOOPS community. And we thank them for that!!!
This month, we would like to recognize Benoît Puissant (Solo71) from Belgium for the support on XOOPS France and his many modules. Solo71 is a XOOPS member since 2002
Where are you from?
I'm from Belgium (Europe). I grew up in Tournai, and now I'm in Arlon (bordering France and Luxembourg) where I live, work and pay my taxes. I'm native French speaker. I'm about to be 40 soon (guess why my nick is Solo71), married and the proud father of a respectively 10 and 2 years old girl and little boy.
How long have you been programming?
My very first contact with programming was on a Tandy 64k with BASIC, in the early 80'. Which was at that time more like a hobby, discovering how computers work.
Being a "media man" as a TV oriented journalist, my professional career got me in touch with the Internet. But mainly as a newbie consumer.
It was only in 2003 that I got interested in web programming thanks to XOOPS. Discovering HTML at first, but since then I learned to program with PHP, MySQL, Smarty, CSS and some JavaScript. I'm sort of a self-made man.
What are your skills?
Basically, I am a journalist by education and profession, mainly in the audio-visual! Professionals detours led me to abandon this area and I redirected myself to the web. A media I find alike more flexible, lighter and just as much as powerful.
I was once called a one man band, where I much consider myself more like a "communication technician". I like to say how that the better I know the tool, the better I can use it. And if I can also share these tools, I feel even better!
What got you to XOOPS?
Random internet meeting. In 2002, someone I met online proposed to create what was my very first online community project : http://www.wolfpackclan.com. The very first site version was powered with php-Nuke, and a few weeks later the designer proposed to switch to a new system a friend of him was working on: XOOPS. The first installed version was an early XOOPS Alpha, which we used as it is for about 8 month!
After a few month, our webmaster was getting less involved, and I had to take over all the webmaster work, and that's when I started to learn HTML.
It was only in July 2003 that I started my very first professional website for the company I worked for: http://www.arma-sa.com. At that time, it was also my very first XOOPS 2.0 website. And thus, looking for help, I got in touch with http://www.frxoop.org (the french xoops support site). Only a few weeks later, I joined the support team - not that I was an outstanding Xoopser, but because I was more helping people than being helped...
What brought you to register on frxoops.org?
At the time of the establishment of Arma site (the site is in French), I was regularly coming on the frxoops.org forums with my questions. Ironically, while few of my questions found replies, I started to help the other users....
Why did you join the admin team?
... Which led Alain and Anexia (both founders of frxoops) to invited me join the "Dream Team" in August 2002. At the time there were only Christian ... and empty private forums! The years that followed were very prolific for our francophone community and names like Philou (then-webmaster of Xoops theme.org), Herve, Marcan, Blueteen, Skalpa, Marco, Kris, DuGris, and many other to join the team and contributed to the development of our French speaking community and the XOOPS project.
What do you like the most about XOOPS?
I think we can say I fell into the cauldron when I was young (Internet speaking of course). Besides I have never been really interested in trying any other kind of CMS, since XOOPS presents many advantages to my eyes:
On a technical side:
- the modularization: with a XOOPS Core and its modules you can power up all kind of websites: from a small showcase website to a very powerful community oriented website. Also without having to reinvent the wheel, you can create quite easily your own;
- the customization : from little know-how to expert programming knowledge, you can fit you website to your needs.
- its general qualities: its object oriented architecture and search engine optimization make this system a very efficient tool.
- Programming languages: the mix of so many internet languages (HTML, PHP, mySQL, Smarty, JavasSript and anything that may power a website - even Flash!) makes (almost) everything possible. What one language can't do, the other one can. Some developers complained about the Smarty template system addition to the 2.x xoops version. I wish I knew then, what I know now to show them their mistake! 
On a more philosophical side:
- Community spirit. Being able to share knowledge, projects and pieces of code. Beyond the virtual , having met Xoopsers of flesh and bones as you recall we're all men and women from all backgrounds, with our qualities and our defects. But I loved and still love to share this passion for this CMS with each and every one.
- The open-source project. Being able to contribute, each according to his competence, his desires and his pace, building a global project that transcends all boundaries and divisions. I had to the opportunity to cooperate on many projects (modules, support site or even the future of Xoops) with French, Canadian, Dutch, Americans, Brazilian, German and even .. . the Flemish (Belgian Dutch) developers. This is a world without borders and limits!
- Programming. I've always been fascinated by computers, the fact that a machine can do all the work (even in your absence) at your place is a concept that I like. I'm what you might call a "lazy intelligent". I will deploy a lot of energy to find ways to make maximum work in minimum time. Object programming in general and XOOPS in particular allows me to accomplish all this.
In what area of XOOPS do you contribute and why?
The visible part are probably the modules. Once a Xoopser told me that there are no more than one or two XOOPS sites that are not using Multimenu (whatever version). I don't know if it's true, but I know that my applications have experienced some popularity. So much that I can't provide an active support (sorry guys, we must choose - I either develop new features, or I provide support). I also made some themes that I see resurfacing in my backlinks from time to time.
The most hidden part in the project is as a member of the team http://www.frxoops.org. I have traveled thousands of miles (by train and car) on behalf of XOOPS (damn, it looks like I spoke of a God!?). I met many Xoopsers and often very indirectly I contributed to the project. Even if it has not always been successful ... But even if I'm not as "public" on the xoops forums as I used to, my interactions with administrators of http://www.frxoops.org and http://www.xoops.org are almost daily. With Philou, we tend to consider that we are some kind of Xoops' "dinosaurus". Is there any threat to see us as endangered species? In any case, I haven't seen the comet that will finally put a end to our to days yet. 
You are also author of many modules. What are you working now on?
Hey, indeed with time, I came up with numerous modules and code. Many of them came from personal needs: Edito, as content manager, Multimenu, as navigation tool, MyReferer for traffic monitoring and many other tools like popgen, mygal, mystats, etc. My favorites are also the very first ones: Multimenu and Edito, which I still continue to develop, enhancing, sometimes rewriting from scratch. I'm currently redesigning both of them. Edito (which I now have renamed to Editos) is currently on my workboard, adding some very useful tools like "independent PHP scripts manager", image manager or pageear manager. You can currently see it working on http://diy.arma-sa.com/modules/editos, which I use as a bridge between the company CRP database and the website. I know it's a long time I haven't released any stable application. This probably due to the fact that I'm never ever happy of the final result, or every time find a way to enhance it... which endlessly led me to postpone its publication.
If you could add one feature to XOOPS, what would it be?
If I could, I would. The development of a project like this is a perpetual challenge, a constant adaptation of the tool to the actual web (bots, spambots, URL rewriting, hackers, JavaScripts - jQuery, user management, new web trends and tools, etc.)
I can not answer that question today, because tomorrow I know I'll find a new feature to deal with...
What is your major achievement in programming that you're most proud of?
First the fact that some of my modules are appreciated by some webmasters. Knowing that I am not a developer (I know some may laugh at that statement), this is some kind of recognition I appreciate.
Xoops France, of course is my pride and joy. The site has experienced many setbacks, its ups and downs, but it is still there. And thanks to the work of a permanent and continuous team (not always the same) passionate people who at one point in their life have decided to devote time and energy to the project and sharing his experience. And above all, its entire community of users and contributors. It is primarily for me a place to meet ... and there are ways to make it beautiful.
What are your hobbies, when you're not coding?
Besides XOOPS, and my kids, I particularly enjoy taking care of my garden. As for the rest, it's also in another secret garden
You favorite dish and drink?
Sea fruits, generally speaking, but I don't spit on frog legs and Garlic Snails.
What about movies and music?
Very classic. I followed the last series: Lost, Desperate Housewife (I am married), the historical series and science fiction, but not the police series. As webmaster of the cinema in my town, I have my free entries. So a bit of everything.
If you would have a chance for a 30 seconds commercial with a message to the world, what would you say?
Stop slapping each other in the face, there's much more interesting things to build together.
If you could choose a place and time to live, what would it be and why?
Today. Truly, we live, I believe, in a key period in human history, its development and its knowledge. But we tend not to realize it all goes so quickly and that we do not take the time back ...
Who is the person that you would like to meet and why?
The whole http://www.frxoops.org team and Mamba.
The new team of http://www.frxoops.org (2010 edition), with whom I interact daily. I met Ben (another Benedict), but not Nikita nor Tatane yet. I need to make it happen!
About Mamba - I got to know him over time, and if I had reservations early about his impact for the project, I realize now how the task is not easy. But he gained my respect with professionalism and patience which amazes me every day.
Hats off, ladies and gentlemen, is an old Xoopser telling you.
