Sebastian Leupold wrote
I would leverage expectations regarding social community features in future DNN versions. One of the basic ideas of DNN as an application platform is extensibility, while keeping included core feature load as small as possible. Focusing on DNN Community Edition (I haven't seem PE yet), functions are implemented as modules, there are mainly admin modules and HTML module included in the core, while all other features are created by independently acting project teams of volunteers. Most of the social features need to be implemented as modules as well, and most likely there won't many modules be added to DNN core framework, but interfaces and basic services, allowing volunteer and commercial teams to create integrated social community solutions according to users' needs.
I was probably using the term "Core" in the wrong context. I should have said included modules or some other term to refer to the 25+/- DNN integrated volunteer team "optional" modules such as the forums, chat, blogs, wiki, etc.
Anyway, this was one of the reasons I recommended DNN work with the developer of ActiveSocial (as it looks like he's considering exactly such a move - ie opening the code for volunteers to move forward on that project. He even recently questioned (in his forums) if DNN would be interested in using some of it. I took it one step further by hoping it becomes a DNN "included" module). I don't suspect he'll be doing a lot of the volunteering at this point (due to time/money constraints), however, it is the first step toward a new team of volunteers to work with DNN to incorporate it. If I had the know how I wouldn't mind volunteering some time longterm, but ASP.NET (and DNN if I go that direction) is going to be a gradual learning process for me, and I'm not in a possition to code it.
Of course, this was before I looked more closely at the DNN 5 series news releases in 2007/2008 stating they're working on a Social Networking suite/tools. Coming in from the tail-end of things, I'm just hoping they didn't mean the Blogs, RSS, Forums, etc. that are already in place at this stage. I'm also hoping they don't include the Social functions only in the Pro edition (like they did with the intranet vertical style "work/release" type features). Either way, I wonder what they intend.
We'll see what happens, but I do believe the Social grouping (group home page) base functionality/permissions would be a very worthy addition to the Community edition, and would set the DNN base apart from their competitors, including PHP CMS's that have been around much longer with much larger volunteer /module bases. One of the big negatives of DNN vs. say PHP Open Source/freeware competitors is the percentage of fee based modules (and much smaller pool of free/volunteer code). On the other hand, one of DNN's biggest advantages is it's free "included/integrated" modules which are superior to most of their competiors out-of-the-box. Included Basic Social grouping features would just strengthen that position for DNN (whether derived from SmartSocial as a base for an included module, or something initiated by DNN themselves).
I've been looking around quite a bit, as this is a longterm solution that won't launch until next year. On a side note, every open source CMS and even strong base forums have free modules for essentially full featured social networking on par (features/functionality) with Active Social or SmartSocial. Many don't need a CMS at all, but build from strictly an open source forum up (similar to what Active forums did). Even some Blogs are expanding into that arena (like Wordpress). For example, MyBB, phpBB, YetAnotherForum, etc. all have social networking suite of modules from third parties (free). So, obviously there is demand in the modern web environment. It would be great if DNN took advantage of this by being proactive/aggressive in adding this as an included module, regardless of how they accomplish it. That sure would make my CMS decision easy, and instantly set them apart from their competitors (which should indirectly result in more Pro edition sales). Once the grouping home page/permissions functionality is in place, the other peices aren't that hard to interconnect. I'm sure the social grouping module would be fairly complex, but no more difficult than the blog, or forum modules.
Let me put it like this: IF I were DNN, and if I didn't already have the Social grouping features in development, I would high-tail it over to SmartSocial right now to see if that code could work as a base for a DNN "included" module - particularly since the developer is already considering that type of move. I would do this BECAUSE it would further set DNN apart from its competitors, and do nothing but increase its user base (and indirectly DNN's revenue & customer loyalty).