I have been developing Microsoft applications for years (12+) and have enjoyed the changes IT professionals have come to expect.  From two-tier to 3-tier COM+ development in VB 3-6, and an initial awkward change to ASP web development there has always been a need to self-develop and improve.

I've hit the burn-out stage more than once and at times have been disenchanted with the stress such a competative career can be.  With the introduction of Visual Studio .NET there was no doubt I would have to, once again, re-compile my knowledge as something new in .NET appeared.  This was occuring amidst the Dot Net crash, the down-turn in the economy, and the new competition from off-shore resources.  I could not have been experiencing my own mid-life crisis as I was sure I already did so.  I now had kids to support having been blessed with twin boys and a girl.  In a way I was lost or very tired, and mad about being outsourced ...in short, I wasn't enjoying IT anymore and it scared me to death.

Having no choice I had to study and learn the new .NET framework.  Google brought me to the .NET Rocks site, but I was more interested in web development and needed something more than a "Grasshopper" hypothetical project to grab my interest.  I tried the ASP.NET starter kits, but wasn't too eager to invest much time in them - I needed something I could use that would not be throw away code and OJT was non-existent since I was on a VB6/COM/ASP.OLD application that was going nowhere ... my concerns about my lack of motivation in learning new technologies grew to a new high as I thought that nothing would catch my interest enough for me to pursue.

I somehow missed DotNetNuke but visiting www.asp.net occasionaly I finally noticed what appeared to be an initiative with many very excited participants.  It was DotNetNuke 3.beta and was developed in ASP.NET/SQL Server (I remember thinking C# would have been nice, since having a C language on my resume might command a higher income).  I was able to build and host my own family website and quickly learned of the many parent portal aspects of DNN.  I began creating websites for others; a landscaper in the area who did my yard for free each Spring, a hair stylist friend of my wife's, an IT recruiter who needed a jobs board, a high school class of 19Something website, etc.  I was hooked and was slowly begining to understand the code which made DNN work.

I took a contract position with a company that needed help with their websites - they had 10 virtual sites in three environments and wanted to build these web applications in each environment (???) - didn't argue, they were set on their approach.  I used Nant which I learned from DotNetNuke's method of builds because they did not want to deploy Visual Studio's development software on each site.  I used the Build Support trick I learned from DNN and also consolidated all 10 sites to one - they were thrilled and I continued to learn with other DNN'ers. I then took a position as a Project Lead on a major C# ASP.NET initiative with both near and off-shore resources.  The Project Manager used an Excel Spreadsheet to capture unit testing bugs and their status, with me as the gopher to collect all 20 spreadsheets and consolidate the progress on a daily basis.  I setup Countersoft's Gemini Issue Tracking tool and hosted it on my local machine and ditched the spreadsheets ... yet another asset learned from DotNetNuke.  My latest and current position is with a large insurance company which is in their second release of one of the larges .NET applications in development.  Hired as a consultant I had been asked to create an Automation Application website that would automate various aspects of the QC test cycle, and to do so from scratch.  No analysis or discovery time was given, no web application to build from, just the expectations to build a quick website that would be rich in UI, intuitive, and "touch" every server, webfarm, event process, etc., and would have reporting so the testers could analyze the data logged from the tests.  After week one I was told I was already behind and userid/pwd needs, access to VSS, access to the necessary servers, and so forth were not an acceptable excuse - nor the fact that they moved me to an all purpose training room mid-week requiring me to setup another desktop, taking up valuable time.  I setup DotNetNuke and from snowcovered.com purchased a skin that had a branding style so close to the company's it was almost scary.  I am in my third week and have created and deployed my first of many releases which includes a custom module that performs the pre-test activities, checking server availability, even processor states, etc., requiring minimal user input.  I have to admit I received a strange, almost confused, look from the project manager after demo'ing this, but sometimes it just goes this way and I am happy with the progress.  I am enjoying application development once again, have more free time to spend with my family and friends, can finally play the new Wii games with my kids, and plan for our next trip to Disney.  I hope to have more time to help out others with DotNetNuke setup concerns and custom module development, and have enjoyed doing so in the past.

Without DotNetNuke I would have found some way to stumble through IT but am quite sure my career options would be much more limited.  If I did venture to learn the latest in .NET technology it would have been in a vacuum - probably limited to reading books and articles.  There are many other ways that DotNetNuke has helped me, and I am sincerly thankful for the people who sacrificed much more than I did to learn, build, and share.  I have rambled too long and realize there isn't an easy way to express my appreciation in a post to all who deserve it, and realize anyway that supporting DNN members and participating in the forums is the best thing to do.

Thanks to all core members and best wishes to those who are IT developers who may be somewhere I used to be!