Benjamin Hermann wrote
Also in my eyes when discussing about portals and frameworks, people shouldn’t forget about the target group. Joomla is a nice, quick (,…) cms. However it’s NOT a web app framework. In my opinion, DNN fits to a much bigger target group; however it can be more difficult to start dealing with it. So, as we say in German, comparing DNN and Joomla is like “comparing apples and pears” (comparing apples and oranges).
I think you are spot-on here, sir, with the exception of the "bigger target group" line of reasoning.
I have now learned and would agree that DNN is, in fact, a web application framework for those who are skilled in developing web applications and extending the current core; however, I think the population of people, like me, who merely want a quick, simply, and powerful way to replace Dreamweaver and other html packages in an effort to build content and data-driven websites is larger than the population of .net web application framework building programming extending technical people. :)
I think the appeal of Joomla is the polished platform that has been extended so far to meet the demands of the non- web application builders without the costs associated of doing so in DNN (My wife is not fond of Snowcovered anymore).
As I mentioned in another post, I finally took the plunge to compare the two while I was unable to post to these forums and during the weeks of problems with the DNN site. I had it installed in mere minutes, to include the installation of WAMP (and never did it before)...and was able to create a strict XHTML site with some basic functionality in about an hour with the first hour of the text drive. It took me a month and a dozen posts to get help aligning the arrows of my registration page that are still not working properly in DNN.
So again, I think you are spot-on. One platform seems to be for the more technically inclined, while the other's target audience if for the general population without the requisite skills needed to extended the platform on their own, Given that I stopped programming after my BASIC and Apple IIe days, well, as you also say in Germany, Mann muss was Mann kann. I am now taking a couple months off here and enjoying learning a new approach.
I would be interested in hearing the DNN guys chime in with what their vision was/is and what they want to be when they grow up. Perhaps they are developing for a certain segment of the market and now trying to appeal to the general population of less technical people. But it does appear to be a platform designed by architects for architects, per se.
Now don't get me wrong: I do love the DNN premise and the ease of creating web applications, even for layman like me. I love the drop-and-drag modular approach and all the intuitive settings and the like. The platform is amazing and arguably way more powerful than Joomla and some of the other CMSs out there; but again, only when you are a devloper. Otherwise, the power that you seek comes with a serious pricetag for non-technical people. And with all the problems of the DNN forums lately, opportunity costs are also starting to be a factor for some.