Why use DNN other than because it is .NET? |
|
Tim Tim
|
I'm just wondering why anyone would use Dot Net Nuke when it has such an aweful interface and is so difficult to use. Is it because it is .NET based and fast? I can't think of any other reason why anyone would use this unless they were forced to from some unfortunate set of circumstances.
|
| |
BarryZ
|
Goto www.secunia.com and lookup your favorite CMS.
BarryZ
|
| |
Dan
|
(Just remember Tim - you asked...)
DotNetNuke (no spaces) isn't actually so difficult to use, and the main goal of the user interface is to make it easier (which, many people find it succeeds at so well).
So: Why would anyone use it?
1) From a "software architecture" standpoint, DotNetNuke is very well designed (I could go on about this, since I actually teach software development at the post-secondary level, but I'll pass on that right now). Solid architecture means better scalability, better maintenance, bug catching, security, etc.
2) From a software developer's perspective, DotNetNuke is highly extensible, allowing developers to make
a) skins,
b) skin objects,
c) "widgets" for skins and modules,
d) modules (aka plug-ins),
e) providers (authentication, UI elements such as the Rich Text Editor, etc),
f) Language packs ('cause most of the world does not read English)
3) DotNetNuke has a highly evolved level of support for Internationalization (languages).
4) It does much, much more than a simple "blog" or "website" does. It is a CMS (Content Management System) Framework. It comes with 25 different modules out-of-the-box. You can buy or build your own modules (over 8000 available on SnowCovered.com).
5) It has a large community of support. At almost 800,000 people, that's quite significant. Compare that to Joomla's numbers (which I could only find on their Forums) which are just over half of DotNetNuke's.
6) It's fast (for its size). Yes, that's true. But remember, most of what makes a web app fast is how well it's configured for its content & environment, and much of that configuration has to do with the web server. For a good example of a host that knows how to configure for speed, see PowerDNN.com. (BTW, any CMS framework can be *made* to run slow, through either ignorance or poor hardware/network setup. Usually it's just due to not knowing how to make websites fase.)
7) It's free. It's open source. Has all of the benefits of open source. You can develop modules with it using free software tools (like Visual Studio Express). Free. Yes, Free.
8) It's got the support of a Corporation, so if you want to go with professional level support for mission critical applications of it, then you can buy that. Overall, it's a whole lot cheaper than hiring someone full-time just to manage your website.
9) It is popular. It is used by individuals, small organizations/businesses, governments, Fortune 500 companies, etc. The interest it has been gaining can be seen by those who think it worth while to pay to go to a DotNetNuke conference (see this link from 2.5 years ago in 2007: http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Community/Blogs/tabid/825/EntryId/1655/Who-Uses-DotNetNuke.aspx)
10) It was mentioned in the Garner 2010 Cool Vendor award. (That means something, by the way.)
----
Of course, you are free to disagree. You can dislike something for any number of reasons. Your own personal experiences of it can be the reason (and reason enough for you), while others have experiences that make them like it. And you can rant about it, if it makes you feel better.
But if your goal is *really* one of wanting to help people (or yourself) to pick a good system for their use, then you'll find that there are many great systems out there (Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, Google Sites, and yes, DotNetNuke).
|
| |
Jeff
|
Quote Chris:
Can someone who's used Artisteer and DNN for a while comment on how much they modify a DNN skin after creating it in Artisteer? That is, do you pretty much just create and go? Or do you do additional tweaks afterwards manually (in VisualStudio or whatever)?
Quite a bit of modification, but that might be the case in any environment. Artisteer does not do a great job with DNN specifics, I usually replace the menu and alter almost all the graphics, but it's a quick way to get a basic layout and color scheme together. Most of my modifications are cut and paste of code, but some are fairly involved, depending on the site.
Jeff
|
| |
TheRune
|
I'm actually using artisteer skins pretty much out of the box. When something needs to be changed in the exported skin, it's usually some specific detail like the links in the footer or placement of the breadcrumbs. Most are minor details, some of which could have a quick and easy fix in the release of artisteer 3 :)
As for the documentation of DotNetNuke, I have a little something to add here too :) DotNetNuke have evolved yet again because of all the attention the documentation has been given, and are offering free training tutorials on the essential parts of DotNetNuke - that is: installation, administration (basically setting up and using DNN), skinning, module development. Here's the link for ya:
http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Resources/Training/tabid/1299/Default.aspx
/TheRune
|
| |
|
|