Thanks for the update - not having used Private Messaging before, yet having seen it in Yet Another Forum, I was unsure, and because we are moving a project from php forums to a DNN based on, it was asked of me and I guess I just thought it was part and parcel.

However, I'm now in two minds - this will be an enormous site, I would expect we would be getting hundreds of thousands of posts over time, based on the current site, and with the release date approaching within the next two months, I feel that it would be too risky for me to hedge my bets on AF5.0 when it's still in beta, so I can either carry down the road with using YAF which has some very similar php styled elements about it, which need a little bit of tweaking still I think, or, using the current Active Forums 4.3.8 standard and add the Ventrian module in and work that way.

I would like to know if I use this method - sticking with AF 4.3.8, will it have an upgrade path so I could use it without the private messaging, and then upgrade the forum to be 5.0? 

Or should I just use the 4.3.8 method with the Ventrian addon, because although not 'best' it is the best for what is available now.

I appreciate your response to this thread. This project is one of the larger projects we've tackled, and I would like to deliver a great solution for them.

 Thanks

Nina Meiers

Hi Katherine Moss - I appreciate that sort of response - I used to be like that - but being so close to the cutting edge, nearly cut my business off the grid completely.  I can't give support to my clients on a beta product, with no upgrade path and big red letter warnings telling me so, and I respect the fact that things take longer than expected as we all start off with the very best intentions.

I will setup a test environment on http://www.dnnbeta.com with the latest install of dnn and the forums and monitor it there, but for now, will look at using something I know that works, and perhaps revisit in 12 months or so, unless there is an upgrade path offered.

I did like the suggestion to perhaps link in the forum, some of the private messaging which is packaged with DotNetNuke 6.2 and hook in PM that way and can test that comfortably.

Thanks for your input.

Nina Meiers