Re: Event Spam..??? - Mailing list pgsql-www

Dave Page wrote: <blockquote cite="mid:4644A423.6030406@postgresql.org" type="cite"><pre wrap="">Chander Ganesan
wrote:</pre><blockquote type="cite"><pre wrap="">Also, I notice a lot of events in the training database that seem to
be
dedicated more to "lead generation" than a reasonable effort to run a
training course.  For example, 'Certfirst' lists PostgreSQL courses
throughout the US in a wide range of different cities.  It is my belief
that these courses listings are designed not to actually offer a wide
range of courses, but to maintain a "main page" list of courses to
generate leads.  Is this an acceptable practice?  I'd hate to see a
bunch of vendors adopting this practice to be competitive....

It seems to me that such a practice would not be to the benefit of the
community - since it wouldn't help community members find events that
were actually running - rather it would put them in touch with companies
that could add them to their marketing databases (or they'd get taken
with a "bait and switch" - where they sign up for a class in the
Bahamas, but end up being redirected to a course in Chicago).   </pre></blockquote><pre wrap="">
I agree it's not good if that is what they are doing, but do you have
any proof? How would we distinguish between that, and say a dozen
courses put on by EnterpriseDB, Command Prompt or OTG? </pre></blockquote> I see your point.  However, perhaps there is
someother mechanism or restriction that can be put in place to limit the likelihood of this (one course of one type per
month,a limitation on annual courses listed, or a "per listing" fee charged to not-for-free companies)?  Such
restrictionswould at least limit abuse to some extent..  Or perhaps limiting listed courses to states where companies
areregistered as corporations...   Such information is freely available, and it could be required that companies
providea link to their articles of incorporation in the states where they provide training - easy to check without
unduework on those that filter events...  <br /><br /> If others (ourselves included) are forced to take the same
actionto be competitive then it results in a reduction in the usefulness of the tool.  One could argue that removing it
entirelyto prevent abuse would be less disruptive than having PG related companies flounder due to the actions of a few
"badcitizens".<br /><blockquote cite="mid:4644A423.6030406@postgresql.org" type="cite"><blockquote type="cite"><pre
wrap="">Also,how about putting a disclaimer on the training pages indicating
 
that the listing of training courses doesn't constitute the endorsement
of a company by the PG community - and that customers should do their
own due diligence to ensure they get what they pay for.  I think many
customers look at a listing of training and consider it to be an
endorsement by the community..   </pre></blockquote><pre wrap="">
I haven't gone quite that far, but following a discussion with Magnus I
have added a line saying that PGDG doesn't endorse any third part events.

Thanks, Dave.

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TIP 2: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster </pre></blockquote><br /><br /><pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">-- 
Chander Ganesan
The Open Technology Group
One Copley Parkway, Suite 210
Morrisville, NC  27560
Phone: 877-258-8987/919-463-0999
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.otg-nc.com">http://www.otg-nc.com</a>
</pre>