My understanding of CMS systems like DNN is that they're targeted to non-developers; laymen like myself who would like to incorporate interactive elements into their websites. I heard that installing DNN is easy but from the get-go it seems obtuse in ways that are not necessary.

Why not have a guide for non-developers? For instance I downloaded the installation package - and opened it up and am left looking at a bunch of files (?????).  Eventually I  breeze over to documentation file -  in there there's a file called read me - a good start. Which brings up the questioin - Why not have a little guide that says 1. Download the Installation File   2. Open the Documentation Package and open Readme etc. etc. I imagine alot of people like me open this up - look at all those files and close it up again. 

Anyway, the Readme file says See the Dotnetnuke Installation Package - it doesn't give a link and when I punched in Installation Package in the search bar all I  got were forum entries. Where's the Installation Package? 

By the way I picked up the Beginning Dot Net Nuke Skinning Book by Shaun Walker and it provides installation instruction except that the first one says double click the DNN.vscontent file in the starter kit but there is no DNN.vscontent in the starter kit! The book  was published just year. 

Thanks very much. Since I'm really very uninformed in these areas - but am willing to learn - I'm a good test case.

In the instructions DNN writes - we suggest that non-developers install products that contain documentation but theres no way to tell from looking at them which contains documentation. That statement throws people like me for a loop immediately. Instead of coming at circuitously - use a product with X in it - why not just say "We recommend non-developers download the install package and the starter kit"; better yet have a section titled Non-Developers - and then give them what they should download. That makes it very easy. 

The download process itself, while it didn't work for me, was a breeze - someone worked very hard to make it very simple for people like me -  a few small  changes could make it very easy to get to that point. 

http://www.bestwebsites.co.nz/dotnetnuke/easy-dotnetnuke-installation-guide/

Btw, dont use the starter kit, it is for starting module development (its name is confusing). Use the install kit instead.

JK