[AccessD] Where to publish stuff

Jim Lawrence accessd at shaw.ca
Sun Jul 15 14:31:21 CDT 2012


Hi Shamil:

Currently, we have such a hosting site. We just haven't utilized any of the
features at our disposal. 

I believe the current rate is about $10.00 a month. Given that we have
access to a MS SQL BE, can install our own DNN and have (virtually)
unlimited GBs we should/would probably be paying a lot more if I hadn't
appealed to my friend's good-nature and wiliness to help out a non profit
organization.  

Our needs for functionality, for a DNN site are minimal, to say the
least...currently we are little more than a large brochure/social site with
little or no business requirements. We could probably get away with just a
base DNN install. 

Graphics, design and layout is my forte. Everyone judges a site by it looks
and not necessarily by its functionality...such is human nature. ;-)

If many people would contribute a little bit it could easily become a
reality. If many people would follow up by contributing to the sites content
there is no limit to how far it could grow.

Just a Note: Where a company hosts its site has nothing or very little to do
with its traffic volume. That all has to do with its branding, the
visibility of the web site name (on Google), which is all driven by the
site's content.

If people are in general agreement we could proceed towards a executive
agreement.

Jim
 
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Salakhetdinov
Shamil
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2012 4:04 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Where to publish stuff

Hi Jim --

Yes, DNN is known to have uneasy route when upgrading DNN-driven web sites
from version to version 3.x -> 4.x,  4.x->5.x but 5.x -> 6.x transition is
working much better AFAIHH.

And as I have noted previously if DatabaseAdvisors web site will be ever
moved to DNN platform then it will be mainly using HTML and other DNN
modules, which shouldn't be an issue to upgrade (will that upgrade be needed
at all? - DNN v.6.x looks "perfect"): at least there always be export/import
modules contents manual or automated upgrade route/option to apply...

As for hosting - PowerDNN
(http://www.powerdnn.com/Hosting/CreateaNewSite/ChooseaPlan/tabid/292/Defaul
t.aspx) (or similar options) looks good for me - their start-up plan
(USD50/month) - does it look affordable for DatabaseAdvisors? I personally
would not mind to Paypal 50-100 USD if there will be made a decision within
DatabaseAdvisors group/boards of directors to move to DNN platform. When the
new site will be up&running and when/if it will attract more traffic it
could be possible to try to monetize it using AdWords etc. to try to earn
money for PowerDNN "Small Business" hosting plan - USD100/months. Of course
it's easy to say but not easy to do...

Another up-front spending would be a custom DNN skin for DatabaseAdvisors
site - it would cost around USD1000 for good professional skin with not that
much graphics AFAIK - here again I'd not mind to PayPal some money to
collect the whole sum together than try to do that skin design by ourselves
as this work requires knowing DNN skinning "tricky" details which I
personally don't know...

As for porting current DatabaseAdvisors contents to a DNN site - we can
share that work - as you proposed we can first make prototype site and then
move it to a hosting site...

But please the will to move to DNN shouldn't be just mine, Gustav's, yours -
the initiative/support/participating group should be (much) larger -
everybody is busy with their own business ...

Thank you.

-- Shamil

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 20:11:53 -0700 от "Jim Lawrence" <accessd at shaw.ca>:
Hi Shamil:

The original site was DNN 5.x which had been migrated from 4.x a year or so
ago. There were a number of third-party apps installed with their own custom
skins/features. Looking back we should have known or suspected that an
upgrade to 6.x was going to be a problem.

Unfortunately, if the upgrade was just a mater of backing up the application
or maybe just clearing out the old application, all together, it would have
been easy to isolate the problems. The program though is tightly integrated
with the MS SQL server for not only its data but also its entire layout and
control.

It turns out that many of the third-party extensions were not compatible, no
longer worked the same, some cost a fair amount to upgrade and had
integrated themselves directly in with the DNN's MS SQL source control data.
They caused all sorts of errors and issues. Additionally, many features,
stored within the data are location dependant and do not easily migrate.

Looking back we should have just set up a new independent server, with the
new MS SQL, installed the latest DNN and slowly added in feature by feature.
When all things were running perfectly then we should have gone on line. My
friend probably rushed ahead as all that he had read, said that the upgrade
would be trivial. 

Maybe this time will be easy as we are starting from an absolutely clean
install.

Jim 
<<< snip >>>

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