In my experience with DotNetNuke, I have seen the following:

- a core team which works incredibly hard - and succeeds - at making the platform relatively simple for users to upgrade (especially after v. 4.6.2)
- developers, both third-party and on the Project side, who make their modules easy to install
- skinning designers creating incredible skin packages which are also easy to install

The combined efforts of people in the DotNetNuke ecosystem are the reason why the platform is winning respect in the recent PackT Open Source CMS Awards, garnering media attention, and continuing to add large numbers of users to its base.  DotNetNuke continues to be powerful, extensible, and yet, relatively user-friendly.

As someone passionate about DotNetNuke, I tell many people of varying skill levels that they can use the platform.  They can perform tasks such as updates, modules installs, and skin installs without fear.  No, they do not have to be an “engineer” or rocket scientist to use DotNetNuke.

So it perturbs me when I see this type of language:

"...Please be aware that most of these are advanced tasks that should only be done by highly technical engineers. If you attempt the tasks below by yourself and you mess something up, you may have to have your website recovered.

DotNetNuke Core Services

DotNetNuke Upgrades $20  
DotNetNuke Clones $30  
DotNetNuke Skin Install $20  
DotNetNuke Module Install $20-$85/hr  

DotNetNuke Extended Services

Document Exchange Module Install $50  
UVG Module Install $50  
UMG Module Install $50…”

(I noticed this today on the site of a web host who doesn’t need any more attention on these forums.)

Let me clarify – if you are a new user of DotNetNuke, do not put any stake in this argument that only "highly technical engineers" should perform:

- upgrading a DotNetNuke site
- installing a skin on a DotNetNuke site
- installing a module on a DotNetNuke site (either from the DotNetNuke Project teams, or from the talented ecosystem of third-party DotNetNuke developers)

You can perform these tasks!  The members of the DotNetNuke team and ecosystem have worked hard and continue to work hard to keep these tasks within the reach of all users, not just “advanced” ones.

I beg to differ ...

To install DNN on your own machine you need to know how to install, setup and configure IIS, .NET framework, SQL Server.  You need to know how to set access permissions.  If you have Vista then you need to know even more.  All this before you can even start to install DNN.  If you get the install or configuration of any one of these products wrong, then you will end up with some obscure error message that a non technical person has no hope of understanding (eg "undefined ... success").

To install DNN on a hosted server you need to be able to use a hosting control panel, and to appreciate what medium trust means.  Again, if you are not technical it is very easy to get it wrong.

I'm not blaming DNN or saying it is hard to install, it is not.  But for a non technical person, it is just as easy to go wrong.  And when it goes wrong, it can go wrong in many different ways.  Dont forget that there are several components involved, from Microsoft and DNN,  each of which has the potential to be too hard for a particular novice user.

Lets say this hypothetical user earns $20/hr.  It takes them 8 - 16 hours just to get the prerequisites installed.  Then they spend another week struggling to get DNN installed, and asking for help on the install forum and maybe getting the right answer.  The $800+ cost of this users time is quite significant.  If instead this user pays to have DNN installed, then they will have a working website sooner, and for a much lower cost.  (The downside of this is that they have not learned anything)

I wrote a blog post a while ago about this subject, "Dont be a Hero..." (ie dont kill yourself trying to do something you dont have to do and may not be capable of doing). http://www.bestwebsites.co.nz/dotnetnuke/dont-be-a-hero/

JK.
 

I agree that setting up DNN on your local system takes some knowledge and time.  In fact, I got my career really kick started learning how to install the early version of DNN.  While I was trained as a programmer and working tech support at a University, installing and messing with DNN took my skill set to the next level opening up numerous job oppurtunities.  

I do want to point out though that the original poster was referring to paying for things like module/skin installs etc.   These sort of things are as simple as uploading a file through the provided interface.  While many people will pay for this sort of thing, it doesn't mean that they are complicated because they aren't.  

Uploading a new module to Dotnetnuke is just about as hard as adding an attachment to an email, with a few exceptions.

As a consultant making his living doing nothing but DNN work I am more than happy to be paid for this sort of work.  However, I am also more than happy to take the few minutes and point my clients to resources so they can do it themselves and save a few bucks if they wish.

Obviously, there is a market for the self learners and the ones with budgets to spend, and you can't blame anyone for filling that market need.

Stuart