GWJ Transition Team

Looking for the next Gamers With Jobs Technical Team!

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Join the GWJ Technical Team!

Like any long-term endeavor, GWJ has been through countless internal and external changes over the last nineteen years. Each time we begin something new, it offers us a unique opportunity to take stock and renew our commitment to nurturing this great community. We're entering another transition as we round the bend on our 20th anniversary, and we're looking for some folks to help us migrate GWJ from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9 and to maintain the site going forward. We're upgrading our Drupal platform now, before they cease official support in November 2022.

For many years now, Jeff "Doogiemac" Beeman has been the man behind GWJ's snappy, stable platform, and we're eternally grateful to him. Thanks to some exciting life events (more about that on the latest podcast), Jeff is taking a well-earned step back from his responsibilities and passing the baton. Along with Shawn Andrich, Jeff will be sticking around to help with the transition to a new tech lead and to make sure we're off to a good start as GWJ continues to grow and evolve.

As mentioned during the donation drive, a lot of our time and budget this year will be dedicated to paying people for this work. This is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the community in a lasting way and to have a big hand in shaping its future. Here is a broad overview of our needs, and if you're excited by the prospect of tackling this list, reach out to us at the contact information below so we can dive into more detail. Drupal experience isn't a must, but it would make the work much easier.

Stuff GWJ Uses

  • Github
  • Linode (admin UI)
  • Linode (server access)
  • Drupal
  • Cloudflare

Main Tasks

  • Upgrade Drupal from version 7 to version 9. The rough timeline would be over the next 12 months. This will require re-writing modules and making sure we have a smooth runway when it's time to update. GWJ does a number of custom things that make this upgrade more involved than just flipping a switch. PhP and MySQL experience are a must for this part.
  • GWJ Email Server reconfigurtion

Ongoing Tasks

  • Server updates (OS and applications), Manual backup (automated daily backups already in place), General server admin, e.g.
  • tweaking apache configs, mysql, etc. (rarely)
  • Bug fixes
  • New features
  • Cloudflare firewall rules

We recognize that those involved with developing GWJ will have other commitments, including day jobs, family, etc. We operate on soft deadlines whenever possible and aim to make working on the site as fun, collaborative, and chill as possible. We also have a budget for the transition, entirely driven by the continued support of our wonderful donors.

If you feel you have something to offer, we would love to hear from you. We're considering either an individual with a lot of experience or a more team-based approach, depending on the skill sets of folks who apply. Special thanks to everyone who has contacted us so far!

Please reach out to shawn at gamerswithjobs dot com or on Discord: CertisGWJ#2771, and he'll get back to you! Be sure to include a brief overview of your skillset and how involved you can see yourself becoming.

GWJ has always grown and thrived because of the many wonderful people helping shape and maintain it over the years. We look forward to building GWJ up so it can continue for another 20 years to come!

Comments

Looking forward to connecting with folks!