I remember back in my early school years as a kid how much certain clothing and shoes played a role in social norms and acceptance among peers.  I thought I’d try not to date myself here, but geez, who am I kidding?  You all remember the days of parachute pants, Michael Jackson leather jackets a la Thriller, and of course Air Jordans?  Man, I unashamedly thrived to possess all three!  Bare with me for a moment here while I take a quick walk down memory lane with each of these three highly sought-after items.  ;-)

Memory Lane

Parachute pants were...well...just freakin’ cool!  And they were very utilitarian as well with all those zipper pockets to store important things in, like love letters and such!  The thing is though, they were of quite poor quality and didn’t last long at all.  This was especially true if you were like me and tried desperately to breakdance in them and ended up with splits in undesirable areas!  LOL

Now those Thriller-esque leather jackets were a hot ticket following the epic release of the MTV music video!  Michael Jackson was an icon and he had the moves.  What kid in their right mind would not want to be as cool as that dude!  Now, the thing is, this is where “knock-offs” came into play.  There were many fake leather jackets disguised as the real deal, but to truly be the hippest of kids, you had to have an authentic leather jacket to gain real respect!  Also, did you know that a “real deal” leather jacket can last for what seems as forever?  And in case you are dying to know, yes, I still have my authentic leather Thriller-esque jacket!  I just can’t wear it anymore due to...well...let’s just say I’ve grown up a bit!

Now, let’s talk about the other MJ iconic product, the Air Jordans!  As an avid basketball player all through my early years, this was an absolute must-have for me.  And like the other MJ, who wouldn’t want to be like this guy!  These were great shoes and the product line has evolved a great deal through the years, but in the end, one could conclude...these were just Nike shoes with a famous endorsement and brand attached.  Yes, they were very cool and well designed, but they were just Nike shoes.  The same Nike quality was there, but they weren’t miracle shoes that last forever - well...unless of course, you are just collecting them and not using them.  Side note, have you seen the crazy prices these shoes are going for at these shoe conventions???  Wow!

What the Heck?

Okay, so what the heck does this have to do with DNN and our strategy moving forward?  Well, I’m glad you asked!

“To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.”

--- Socrates

If we were to make a correlation of DNN Platform to the one of the above, which would you say it is most like?  

Parachute Pants?

Nah, these were truly a fad fashion item.  They had no true staying power.  The quality was low.  And well, security was not their strong suit - especially if you wanted to breakdance in them!

The Leather Jacket?

Well, let’s see.  In their time the bling factor was real - especially with the MJ Thriller touch!  They were super durable.  They looked great.  They smelled great.  They developed “character” over time due to continued use and abuse.  They have true staying power.

Air Jordans?

Close, but no cigar.  They are just Nike shoes with a really cool Michael Jordan brand attachment!

The Clear Winner

DNN Platform is like the iconic Michael Jackson Thriller leather jacket that has been able to adapt over the years from its original iconic flare to a tried and true, battle-tested, leather jacket.  Sure, there are fancier and more trendy jacket options on the market now, but you just can’t beat a good leather jacket.  It is a known and dependable clothing item.

DNN Platform - Knowing Thyself

DNN Platform is…

• ...the largest .NET Based Application Framework/CMS with a huge user base.
• ...built on the .NET Framework.
• ...supported by a strong community that is thriving.
• ...here to stay.  

Over the past couple of years, there have been talks of a potential path to .NET Core for DNN Platform.  This has been a bit of a roller coaster ride, but due to some key technical decisions by Microsoft regarding .NET Core, we are finally able to come to a confident conclusion.  And we want the DNN Community to be well informed.

With Microsoft supporting the current version of .NET Framework until at least 2031, DNN Platform has a technology lifespan of more than 3x that of any .NET Core based solution (due to the 3-year lifecycle of .NET Core).

There are many opportunities to integrate DNN Platform with .NET Core, but DNN Platform will not itself be moving to .NET Core.  Please see THIS BLOG POST from Mitchel Sellers, our DNN Technology Lead, for a more in-depth technical look at this strategic direction.  Mitch also shares some options for those looking for a full .NET Core solution. 

Thank You

This community is truly second to none.  Having been in this thing from day one, I can honestly say this community has made a tremendous positive impact on me, my career, my growth, and my relationships.  DNN Platform IS and WILL CONTINUE TO BE, our go-to platform of choice for many years to come!