Re: [HACKERS] Toward A Positive Marketing Approach. - Mailing list pgsql-advocacy

Dropping -hackers.

On Thu, May 18, 2006 at 01:46:23PM -0700, elein wrote:
> > 2. Reward ISP's who newly support postgresql.  Give them free links,
> > somehow give them free expertise, give them focused help so that
> > offering postgresql to their customers will not end up in disaster as in
> > the past.  Less than 4% of ISP's worldwide support postgrsql. WHY?, if
> > pg is SO GOOD, and SO MUCH BETTER???
>
> Links are free.  Support for PostgreSQL is free via the mailing lists
> and IRC.  This free support is better than most call centers.

Maybe ISP's aren't getting the word?

Actually, I suspect the real issue is that there isn't enough demand.
Every OSS project out there uses MySQL, so that's what people want, so
it's what ISPs provide. Since it's so hard to get ISPs that support
PostgreSQL, more people develop using MySQL, driving demand, etc. I talk
to probably 1 person a month that would love to develop some application
using PostgreSQL but can't because their ISP (or their customer's ISP)
doesn't support it.

I think there's probably a lot to be gained by providing incentive for
ISPs to support PostgreSQL. Perhaps that incentive is just publicizing
the outstanding free support that's available. Or maybe if we get more
OSS projects supporting PostgreSQL, thereby increasing demand...

> > 3. Reward existing FOSS projects that make sensible provision to
> > accomodate postgresql in preference to other more "commercial" db's.
> > Free links, mention in newsletter, listing on websites, whatever it
> > takes to start pulling other open source communities behind postgresql.
> > A good example is bitweaver.org, a great integration project, very
> > professional, helpful to small businesses, but needs some promotional help.
>
> This is already happening on the postgresql.org page and in the
> PostgreSQL Weekly News.
>
> >
> > 4. Stop being too cheap.  Money Talks!  Offer to PAY premiums to major
> > OSS aps who don't do pg, or don't do it well enough.  Like Compierre,
> > like Drupal.  Ask me if i would contribute $1000 to pg.org if the money
> > (guaranteed) went to get MY chosen favorite programs totally in
> > postgresql, even if forks were necessary?  How many others DON'T
> > contribute because they fail to see a coherent, systematic program of
> > promotion, just more of the same, free linuxworld booths and bof's year
> > after year, no affinity to the commercial realities out there.
>
> You can already do this.  Kick in money for a developer or consultant
> and the program in question can be converted.

Perhaps we should look at making a more concentrated push in this
area... both from a marketing standpoint ("Hey! OSS Projects! We'll help
you add PostgreSQL support!") as well as collecting donations that are
targeted towards this effort.

> > 6. Offer to assist nerwly popular university based applications around
> > the world, such that they authomatically choose postgresql to base their
> > software on.  A good example, the educators who wrote LAMS, adopted a
> > sensible database approach, but then went solely with mysql.
>
> This is being done with the Google Summer of Code.

But it should be a year-round effort...

> > 7. Provide marketing based brochure models licensed in the creative
> > commons which is something more than a mere enumeration of pg features.
> > Something decision makers in companies can sink their teeth into, not
> > the programmers who work for them that do what they are told.  These
> > must speak to TCO and ROI over time.
>
> Feel free to rewrite any brochures we have.  People will be happy
> to use them.

I can get some time from Pervasive's marketing folks to help with stuff
like this if someone has specific ideas for collateral.
--
Jim C. Nasby, Sr. Engineering Consultant      jnasby@pervasive.com
Pervasive Software      http://pervasive.com    work: 512-231-6117
vcard: http://jim.nasby.net/pervasive.vcf       cell: 512-569-9461