I agree on the search function of the forum, (Crispy working on it).
I also agree that another Forum is a bad solution, all info should be available in one place.
(It could also be interesting to host a (payed) support forum for module vendors....)

If you want to avoid a lot of the reoccurring questions in the forum a better search function would definitely help but maybe it's an idea to create an question base answer wizard.

Especially for "Installing DNN" this would be good I think, since in a way It should be possible to make a tree structure for the install path and what can go wrong (with the help of the current forums questions)
With this you can ask specific question about version, SQL server version etc.

Like
    -What version of DNN are you using? 3 / 4
    -Do you have problems with install / upgrade
    -What kind of hosting: localhost / hosting provider / my own server
    -etc.

One of my frustrations; I try to visit the Forum as often as possible to answere as much questions as I can but if I post a more advanced question it mostly moves to page 3, below a lot of beginners questions.
In a way if you posted a question you shouldn't answere any because it moves you thread off the first page....

This could partly be solved by a "problem solved?" attribute for every forum thread,
or by avoiding beginner questions in another way (like a wizard for example).

( And sometimes people should just read the documentation....)
I also think it would be good if the complete documentation would be available in HTML on the site.

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Mariette, I corrected my post.  I typed "Active Modules" when I meant DNN-Modules.  I think I accidently typed ActiveModules because in the back of my mind I was thinking that using ActiveForums would make this forum experience better.  Reading these posts makes me think a new forums module would only be part of the solution.

I apologize for the initial emotion.  Like others have said in this thread - DNN and the community has been wonderful and allowed me to come in as a noob and build a successful site.  I also didn't know thing one about HTML or building a website and over the course of (a couple years part time) I've got a site with a bunch of custom modules, a custom scheduling provider, a web service, and a user base.  I love DNN.  And I've given very little back especially in light of all the questions I've asked and support I've recieved.  I will try to do my part by answering three posts for every question I ask to help make up for that since I'm no longer a new guy although I wouldn't call myself a real programmer just yet.

I'm happy to see the discussion.  I understand the posts are growing, and the traffic, and the infrastructure gets clogged.  I didn't realize the group of mentors providing answers had shrunk to 40 or so people.  I wonder if it was always that way or if this is a result of the issue being discussed.

From my perspective, two things are true.  First, dotnetnuke is a great platform and I've gotten vastly more out of "it" than I've put into it.  Secondly, I'm getting vastly less out of it than I used to.  I'll try to correct the first issue.

Thanks for all the Core Team work and thanks for being patient with guys like me that complain but don't solve.

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I'm too poor for anything other than the community version

I would like to know how others feel about Shawn Duggan's comments (above, quoted). Is it agreeable that the growth of DNN can be harnessed and driven forward if some willing, aggressive steps were taken to welcome newcomers? Rhetorically (from me): Has DNN's shadow passed and therefore it is not worth the effort now? I do not know the answer to that question. S. Walker has supplied evidence that the number of posts in these forums has grown at a positive, linear rate. In every forum I have ever participated in this generally means that the use of, and interest in, the product is increasing. I wonder what the growth in the rate of downloads of DNN has been?

In any case, as Shawn Duggan says, the forum environment is for CERTAIN only as good as the community behind it. In general, these forums are too technical and the expectations too high (my opinion) for the absolute beginning user. Just think of the number of people each day who purchase shared web hosting plans but who are not technically adept. They reach their host's control panel and find, oh cool, I can have this DotNetNuke thing installed with just one click. So {click} it is. That's a good moment: they are curious about it, they know this DNN thing meets their goals, they want to see results with their experimentation. They start to fiddle, and the find these forums in the same sitting ... so they type up a question for our forums ... and then... {THUD} ... it takes 15 hours before a forum administrator approves their question to even be visible as a thread. Talk about a killjoy maneuver! Under any form of interpretation -- be it psychological, pedagogical, or other -- this sort of non-response is against the desire to continue to learn. I am sure many are lost to DNN in that way. {THUD=door shut}

But to be positive, there are plenty of helpful people here who do take time to answer questions. They could be much more productive under the wiki model. Newcomers can be welcomed more quickly (if not instantly) with a immediate post + wiki solution. (wiki = user-friendly FAQ, etc.)

Anyway, would this help?