It takes a community to raise a portal framework

Thinking about the future of DotNetNuke can be brain numbing. There are myriad great ideas floating around and in various states of construction. We always struggle internally over how to both improve function and abstract "weight". But we're just talking about the core framework here. There is more. So much more.

The release of 2.0 will bring about a fundamental shift in the DotNetNuke community. A very good shift. A shift of mindset. A shift of attitude. But a shift nonetheless. Shifts are not comfortable for everyone, but to remain static is to whither. What was once a cool toy (albeit a very cool toy) is becoming a commercial class product. But still free. And still open source. Wow!

What kind of changes does this bring? Well, lots. While coding for DNN (modules) will always be within the reach of the inexperienced, the possibilities for coding (complex modules/module suites/providers) will continue to increase in sophistication (read complexity). DNN has roots as (and a core value of remaining) a versatile learning platform for .Net development. But as it becomes more "commercial class" the core will gain better defined public interfaces, higher levels of abstraction, more implementation of various provider types, etc. The result will be a much healthier "market" for third party exploits which DO NOT require "core modifications". What a boon for the community! A fully supportable binary for the core that supports rich custom extension. Powerful functionality, rich module suites, extravagant UI... even for those that are not developers. And thats just coding of the core!

More flexible "core team" structure; Increased ability for community members to participate in a meaningful (recognized) way; Community involvement in setting of enhancement priorities; More granular forums; Development tools & utilities; Better documentation; Skinning tools & templates; ASP.NET forum integration; i80n (internationalization); g80n (globalization); Improved communication channels; the list goes on and on. Where do you want to participate today?

So get ready. The sun is rising, dawn is approaching... it's about to be a BRAND NEW DAY!