John Mitchell wroteCarlos, mcunn, and rgtss.
I just wanted to say that I think you guys are all really bringing some good points to discussions like this.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and opinions in such detail.
Hi John, I just sent you off an email earlier about your Cache-ware.
I love the "speedy stuff up" things in computing. Probably what I am known best for. While I am not Mike Abrash he has his ways I have mine LOL. He and I conspired many (many) years back on the original Quake game.
Its somewhat remarkable the differences that appear in the "open" coding world. That is to say Perl vs PHP vs ASP vs Java...
Perl (effectively replaced by PHP apparently) has just HEAPS of free stuff, some of its very very good. Then some is very very bad. Some items called "Commercial" are really not worthy (really!)... (not worthy!). LOL. In ASPLand it seems many firms want be paid, thats cool... But some of the prices are just well... How in the world they justify such prices is beyond me. In JavaWorld things seem to be very different again. There is a GOB of really professional free stuff out there but the developers tend to remind me of McTribesman days, "Oh, you develop with Microsofts Visual Studio? Why you poor gullable portion of rotting stomach tripe... you should use Java!". LOL. Its really weird! I've been at some functions where I have told other coder's that I am skilled in Assembly Language as well and have them go, "Whats that?". Makes me want dump my Scotch On The Rocks in their lap and say, "See that... clean it up. Step by Step. Thats Assembler!"
The open-source world has often (often) had many great projects stumble along in varied directions because of the voluntary nature of sizeable projects. Yet others where true focus has taken place have had miracle results, Linux, Apache, PHP,MySqueel :)
I as you are aware come from mainly a commercial development background. I know DNN can have a VERY outstanding future and become a well known buzzword. I believe the step up to Net 2.0 being a significant performance boost as well as possibilities boost for DNN is a GIANT LEAP. It is EVER so important if the core has commercial interests in mind that said LEAP does not result in breaking stride if you will. In other words, the modules which make the Framework do varied work cannot (or should not) be allowed to "trip it up".
If I had the necessary skill set and time presently I'd love to work closer on some of this stuff. I'm still coming up to speed on it and there is always other work pending. Thus, I can relate to the various developers. I am sure they are not sitting around day after day after day munching on Dorito's. In the same regards however as Spock put it, "The good of the many outweigh the good of the few or the one".
If there were a few hundred DNN sites deployed... okie doke. But there are hosting firms itching to see DNN move forward, firms that'd love to buy modules for prospect webmasters who have a "RAD" ability via DNN for websites/applications. There are myriads of indi's who have made a living for themselves via DNN sites. To quote another movie favorite of mine, "The Right Stuff" it's important not to "Screw the pooch". Even if I did have the skill set right now required to be helpful to the DNN crew I know that I do not have the time presently to devote. As such if I *were* working on any core items I'd have to defer the position to someone else for the better of the project. It would simply be the right thing for me to do.
See... In a commercial environment its all quite different as there exists pay vs expectations. But, even with this factor ESPECIALLY in PC Games the environment that is attempted to be maintained is "This thing is bigger than just you or I and them". You are part of the team. The team must make the game, its the priority. It outweighs the wife screaming at me that I need be up in 6 hours.
Again... I do not know what DNN's goals are. If the goals have future commercial interests then its a good time to effect changes. The core team who code the framework know how much "time" it takes to make say a "Forms Module". They can say, "This is how long we think it'd take 1 or 2 of us". We are assigning said task to these volunteers, we know they are volunteers. "Here is the expectation for completion to Beta". If this timeframe is not met etc. then the "backups" move in and they hump on it. Point being, development of the modules which make it do what it does is NEVER stagnant and feature releases as frequent as POSSIBLE. If I add a "do-thingy" to Module "A" then Module "A" goes to "ITS BETA CREW" right away.
I didnt think of this aspect in a prior post to Joe. Some sites use alot of whatever module. Those sites can Beta a module. In other words module issues can route out bugs earlier (hopefully) in a modular beta format so to speak. Bugs in modules get fixed, period. Again, the core framework can be the best thing in the universe but when this module downloaded from this site as a core module blows up.... welp, to the users seeing that it reflects directly on DNN, not the module, on DNN and thats BAD.
I realize that a core framework release 4.5 might result in module "XXX" being damned incompatible. Module "XXX" must then be kludged, "It still works" and if the module need be recoded thats the deal. Welcome to fame.
Point all being if a coder is a core project member then they should have at least some set amount of programming time allocated towards it set down by the inner core. Work must progress. When it does not everyone else is left at a loss on the team and the prospective customers.
I've done contract work with numerous operations and this is exactly how its been done. "Here's your task". You are contracted to complete it by "mm:dd" period. "You are EXPECTED to upload code to us each and every week until completion". Thus they make sure I am working at it and see my progress.
Given some thinking and communications I have no doubts at all that rules, project management, enforcement thereof could result in DNN being COMMERCIALLY marketable in 6 months time. I could without doubt have a mainstream publisher atop it, boxed, shipped and at every CompUSA, Target, Amazon.com etc. by years end. I could have the same publisher adopting module developers work and their stuff also being commercially sold. DNN Inc. would have green flowing in at a rate that would be a very nice surprise. Each month that passes the window for such things shrinks. Most commercially available web building wares have not done well commercially yet some have. Not a single one "for the masses" has hit REAL paydirt. DNN could. Some ease of use issues, documentation by people (not developers LOL) so things get explained in "human terms" and not technical terms.
There's a path to be followed to bring it to commercial fruition if thats the goal. If anyone at DNN cares to commune with me feel free... confidential.