First off I upgraded the CADUG Website to DotNetNuke v6.2.3. PowerDNN makes upgrades super easy with their tools, so that went smoothly. Next, I upgraded the Feedback Module to the v6.2.1 release. I installed the DotNetNuke Q&A module v1.1.1 and I installed some of my favorite DotNetNuke modules, EasyDNNNews and EasyDNNGallery.
While I was in there, I uninstalled a bunch of modules that we just weren't using anymore. Document Exchange, Dynamic Registration, and UVG Video Gallery. Now uninstalls can give you a bit of trouble, because they don't clear out things that they added to the Web.Config file. You get a nasty error message after the uninstall and you end up having to manually find and remove items that are no longer available, this true if the chose the 'delete files' option.
Why uninstall modules you ask? Well modules that aren't being used are still taking up some memory on the server so for performance it is better to just have the modules loaded that you are using, or intend to use in the near future.
So now we have an updated environment to work with, it is time to make some changes. I remove the Forums and replaced it with the DotNetNuke Q&A module. I like this module better as it facilitates a good Question and Answer flow. People in Forums tend to drift off topic from time to time. You can find the new Q&A page here, and if you hurry you could be the first person to ask a question.
Next, I removed the blog module. I talk about my reasons for not liking the DotNetNuke Blog module in more detail here. I put in its place the EasyDNNNews module from EasyDNNSolutions. I like this module much better and it allows me to do all kinds of cool things.
I removed the announcements module from the home page and replaced it with an instance of the EasyDNNNews module, and I removed the RSS Feed Reader from the News Page and also replaced that with another instance of the EasyDNNNews module. Are you seeing a pattern here yet? A bit of configuring here an there to make everything link correctly, function properly and look the way I want and I was done.
I then did a bunch of little clean up things on the website, renamed some pages, updated some page descriptions, added some new links. Really just a good overall update to the site just before Don and I head down to DNNWorld 2012.
If you have questions, please use the contact author link below or post a question on the Q&A page and the Chicago Area DotNetNuke Users Group will do its best to provide answers and help.
Thanks
-JNagy