Once we have our goals worked out, and an understanding of how to search for extensions, it is time to actually start choosing the extensions we will use.
An important thing to consider as we start this process is the difference between Core and Third Party Developer (3PD) extensions.
Core extensions, are those that come with Joomla! by default, such as the content component, web links component, and contacts component. These extensions are developed and maintained by the Joomla! project team itself and generally get updated (if needed) automatically with Joomla! releases. They are mostly broadly aimed extensions that most people will use on a site, such as user management, content management, contacting the site, displaying links to other sites, and so on.
3PD extensions, on the other hand, are those made by people working separately from the Joomla! team. These extensions will generally be updated when the developer makes changes or fixes and are not...