Sometimes as I go through my blogs looking for something, or a question gets emailed to me in reference to something I said a while ago - I look back at the last few years and feel the impact of DNN has been significant to say the least.

Not only has it seen many new friendships forged through joint ventures, business opportunities, mentoring, talking, communicating in general but it does show how 'eco systems' work.

The amazing thing I've noticed about working in a 'global space' is there the relationships I've built up that mean as much to me as if I was working in an office with like minded colleagues.

I've spoken to people who now have two children in their families, have had challenges with their teenagers, have expanded their businesses, have moved to different jobs, have travelled, have lost pets... just to name a few things that have crossed my path through one way or another in this online community.

The last 12 months for me in particular have been very difficult, but on the flip side, so exciting, and at times I can't sleep when thinking about ideas people have shared with me that they are embarking on.

I have found that over the last few years, technology really has made it's impact on many people, businesses large and small, and our reliance on the peformance of technology has often put us in very challenging situations to keep ongoing communication.

For me, email has been the most difficult thing to manage and I don't think it's going to get any easier.. I was looking at a card I send my clients back in 2001 and it was great - there was this cool little midi playing in the file - with nice personalised Christmas message in it (sent through my mail sending app). I even remember sending embedded video to coincide with a softdrink company ad.. it was much simpler then..

I also thought back on the days of DNN 1, when web.config files were little, the builds were cruder but less complicated, and I even believe DNN was 'bobby' compliant.. hard to quantify sometimes when things move so fast.

I remember purchasing the Snapis Skinning editor, and creating my first skins to go online around June 2003, before skinning was a reality and that made me think how advanced the thinking has been in some developers I know. I genuinely am impressed, and more so as time prgresses, and those developers who have hung in and continued to grow with DNN, well the solutions being delivered are simlply fantastic. I adore the developers who make DotNetNuke what it is today.

I've seen lousy builds and great builds, mistakes, bugs, errors, changes, enhancements, fixes, hacks, add ons, core mods, you name it, when developers have had to make DNN 'conform' to their requirements as they have not only learnt about the DNN methodology and how things are done.

I've slept less, exercised less, put on the most weight, had more disappointments and great surprises than in any other area of my work career, which has always be very much hands on.

I think with the release of DotNetNuke 4.4 which is just around the corner, we're going to find some different attitudes, opinions, newcomers and opportunities for 2007 and looking forward to being part of it.

on another note - http://www.zinc.com.au was released this week - still some minor tweaking to do - and http://www.cds-net.com was launched and they are great DNN sites, well received by the clients and truly these two sites show the contrast in how DNN can look at the end of the day.

I've also launched skincovered again - a newsletter wil be going out in the next couple of days..

I've hardly had any sleep this last fortnight - and as tired as i feel, these last few days really made me think - DNN is one of the most remarkable and rewarding projects I've ever been involved in and if you're not - you should be.

You can see the december release here - http://december.skincovered.com.

Talk to you soon - and get those coffee pots cooking again, i detect some long nights ahead..

And i have another free skin to release any day now -

And that christmas skin I sent out way back in 2001 - that's here - One of the houses is an old queenslander we used own.. a beautiful home also used in the early part of 1900's for movies with the 'glamorous' facade.

http://www.emailer.com.au/clients/xddg/emails/xdgreetings2.htm

Nina Meiers