Whilst I applaud the DNN module review system I wonder who it helps beyond the vendors.
Many users of DNN have different skills at different levels and DNN is fantastic at exposing the deficiencies we all have be it design, xml, sql, whatever.
My point is that for any DNN quality label to be useful it needs to be much more "consumer facing".
Saying essentially just "tested and it works" tells buyers of third party modules nothing.
Every module I have ever bought "works" - the issue for most is How Difficult, What skills do you really need to make it go, Level of Documentation etc
Would it not serve to promote user confidence better if a modules DNN review included some kind of indication of the levels of skill required?
What about a reviewer sticking her or his neck out and providing a meaningful summary (like a real product review) ?
Simply rating with 5 red or grey stars is meaningless to buyers.
A module I bought recently requires a lot work simply to do basic layouts - the developers seem to favour a pure css approach, OK for some but a nightmare for others. Of course the marketing does not say "jump through these awkward hoops to style" but a DNN review should ?
I wonder what the results of a survey of DNN third party module buyers would look like given such questions as:
Number of modules abandoned as user cannot use? Number of modules abandoned as key elements missing or too basic? Number of modules abandoned as they do not quite do as the vendors marketing suggests?
I read that one of the benefits of the new DNN Corp is a more solid marketing approach and hope very much this subject is on the agenda.
Regards
Ian