[AccessD] OT: My web site and WebHost4Life

Michael Maddison michael at ddisolutions.com.au
Mon Oct 10 21:34:38 CDT 2005


Just to throw in my 2c...
We use http://bottomlinecom.net/ 
We took the basic package, 3 x domains, 500mb space, 20gb traffic, up to
5 MS SQL db's (no size limit IIRC).
Interestingly, we had the same problem with DNN not working correctly
until the domain was active.

DNN is pretty awesome, we got our site up very fast
www.ddisolutions.com.au we are still adding and 
fine tuning parts of it but overall are very happy.

We are a bit disppointed with the performance of bottomline but for 1/10
of what it would cost in Oz to
get the same level of hosting we will put up with it for a while.  I
don't know if we are getting ripped by MS but most
ISP's that offer SQL want 40-50AUD per MONTH for the privilege, and
that's on top of the hosting fees!!!!
We have a sub domain that is written in classic asp and uses an Access
db, it performs very well so I suspect
the SQL db's are the bottleneck...

Only real issue so far with DNN is I wanted to put google search on the
site but it uses forms, my DNN/asp.net programmer
tells me DNN will not like it at all.  Havn't tested it yet so YMMV.

cheers

Michael Maddison

www.ddisolutions.com.au

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of John Colby
Sent: Friday, 7 October 2005 3:56 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: My web site and WebHost4Life

>Hi, could somebody tell me what DNN is and what it is used for.  I must
have missed some threads.

Max,

DNN stands for DotNetNuke.  It is a web site framework based on ASP.Net,
VB.Net and MSSQL, which allows people to put up a web site with "out of
the box" capabilities that you would otherwise have to program yourself
(or go find modules for).  DNN had an entire database (30 or so tables)
used specifically for maintaining DNN structures, users, etc.  You as a
developer can add other tables in the MSSQL database and build a web
enabled database application around the DNN foundation.

Note that I am no expert in web design so read this with that in mind.
Real web designers MAY be able to do all this stuff with little or no
effort as well, once they learn their trade and tools.  I am not a web
designer and I can do this stuff (at least what you see) with DNN.

Go to my site - www.ColbyConsulting.com . BTW, also go to my OLD web
site at www.jwcolby.com to see my previous attempt at web design.  Just
a bit of a difference eh?

At my new web site, notice the register and login.  That is DotNetNuke.
I did not create that.  Notice the handsome guy (pic) off to the left,
and the book gifs and hotlinks to buy them off to the right, with the
main "Colby consulting message" in the middle.  All of those are modules
that come with DNN.  I "fill in the content" of those modules in order
to show my picture, the book gifs and the links to buy the books.

Take this opportunity to register and log in.  

Now notice that the menu has expanded to include other menu items that
are not visible for visitors who don't register and log in.  There is an
ExampleCode menu item with sub menu items.  Pages in DNN can be "allowed
to be viewed" by groups of users.  I have set up my site such that the
stuff you see without logging in can be seen by "all users" whereas the
rest of the stuff can only bee seen by "registered users".  This kind of
functionality is just built in to DNN.

These menu items are "pages" in DNN.  I add a page by clicking a "add
page"
button (when logged in as an administrator) and I get a new page.  DNN
just creates a menu item for me, I don't have to do that.  Each page has
areas that are predefined by the "skin" I selected into which I can drop
one or more "modules".  These modules can include text / html areas,
announcements, banners, events, faqs and a ton of other things that are
just built in to DNN.  Additionally I can go out to the web and buy or
find for free other modules.  

On the top menu, click on Example Code / Framework Articles.  The page
you see is a free module I downloaded off the web which allows me to
enter a "multi-page" page.  That module allowed me to set up pages to
put my article pages on, and built for me (no programming on my part)
the little menu you see off to the left.  Also down at the bottom you
will see a "page n of m"
kind of thing, part of the module.

On the top menu, click on the Forums menu item.  Forums are another
module that I downloaded off the web.  I just built a page and told DNN
to put a Forums Module in the center area of the page and there you go.
I go in and define the topic / sub topic.  All "no programming on my
part".

On the top menu, click on the Feedback menu item.  An email applet that
just "snaps in", no programming on my part.  

DNN is the FRAMEWORK that makes all this possible, and includes enough
modules to make it useable with no outside help, but which allows
developers to write additional modules that do some thing.  There are
LOTS of modules out there, a thriving community of developers trying to
build and sell modules, and many free modules as well.  DotNetNuke is
really about allowing you to create a web site with a presentation (the
skin), the data (the pictures and text in the areas of the web page) and
the business logic (the programming that causes the modules to do what
they do).  These three pieces are distinct from each other to a large
extent.  I did not write the skin, and I did not write the modules.  I
just found a skin I could live with, and started assembling the pages
and modules, filling in the content.  Only the content is mine.

According to the DotNetNuke site, they now have several hundred thousand
web sites running DNN.

What you see on my site was completed in about two weeks it seems. In
fact I just checked and I purchased my hosting there on the 20th of last
month and then had to transfer my domain to them.  So it took me 2 weeks
to figure out how to use DNN plus get the content you see up there.  The
key though is that going forward, adding content is a no brainer.

Of course learning to do my own modules is definitely NOT a no-brainer.
;-)

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com 

Contribute your unused CPU cycles to a good cause:
http://folding.stanford.edu/

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Max Sherman
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 12:15 PM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: My web site and WebHost4Life


Hi, could somebody tell me what DNN is and what it is used for.  I must
have missed some threads.

Excuse my ignorance, please.

Regards
Max
(Derby)
Mob: 07990 521001
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Eric Barro
Sent: 06 October 2005 16:32
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: My web site and WebHost4Life

I concur with John. I've used webhost4life.com for 2 yrs now and I've
been satisfied with the service. Aside from SQL server and DotNet
support they also have Sharepoint Team Sites available as part of the
package. 


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