Re: PostgreSQL Certification - Mailing list pgsql-advocacy

Hi all,

> Josh Berkus wrote:
>> What would it mean for a company to be certified?

> I'd hope it'd mean that I can have some degree of confidence
> hiring that organization for Postgresql support.  No?

Thats my point. A "PostgreSQL Certified Company" is just about a
brillant button on a company's web page, or a stamp on any commercial,
"certifying" the company has knowledge in PostgreSQL and has prooved it
has one.

I think a company could be "Certified" when it hires a certain number of
PostgreSQL "certified" individuals.

All the point is determining how much...

2 Certified DBAs on a 5 consultants company can be enough.

But 2 certified DBAs in a company of 100? 1000?

Yes, it'll be hard to define something right.

> It seems to have very similar benefits as certifying individuals.
>
> Microsoft seems to have something like that for their
> partners in their "Database Management competency"
> https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40012911

Oh yes, they do. They aren't the only to do so.

I was thinking also that only Certified PostgreSQL Training Companies
could pretend to prepare trainees for PostgreSQL Certification.

But I may go too far on this point...

The things I'd like this reflection to reach, on the "company
certification", are:

 - ensure a customer he's asking PostgreSQL support (services or other)
to a company with a prooved knowledge of PostgreSQL, if that customer
needs it, he should have it;

 - ensure an individual he will meet a good teacher in this company that
may help him right to take and pass the PostgreSQL Certification;

 - the label "certified {individual|company}" shouldn't be *ONLY*
buyable in any way... I mean, the quality of the company or the
knowledge of the individual should be the most important thing to get
the certification stamp...

 - many other things we could define!!?

About certifying companies:

-> Its *not* about marketing for us. But maybe a valuable marketing
media for the companies.

-> We *cannot* give that stamp to everyone giving an amount of money or
even time to the PostgreSQL project (wich are exactly the same to me:
time is money). It has to be really strict or it won't have any value.

-> This last idea doesn't mean we cannot ask for money *at all* to have
the companies certified. I think that certification could be *also* a
good way to grab money from companies and have them giving money to the
PG project via the way they want (SPI or local organizations).

But I know many of you will think that we musn't mix certification with
money at any time... I'm just telling you "heh, this could be a nice way
to have money to the project", not that we *must* take it.

My opinion is that if we only think about donations to "certify"
companies, we will wait for them a long, long... long time.

And sometimes, I'm a bit fed up of selling $5 mugs or $1 pins when I
know I need $200 for a banner or that I like to give $150 to a guy going
present PostgreSQL far from home, or even help guys at PG.De or PG.Uk :/

I know you'll tell me I have to ask companies here to donate. We did,
many times.

They all tell the same: "What I have for the money?" I respond "well,
you helps us a lot".... No need to say this is not what they wanna hear.

(------------------------------------------------------------------

About money: example: PostgreSQLFr 2007: see complete thing there, on
the annual resume of the general assembly we did a few days ago:

http://wiki.postgresqlfr.org/doku.php/ag_du_30_janvier_2008

Precisely, the chapter about money:

2007's PostgreSQLFr money:

Money @bank, 1st jan 2007: +786 €

  Expenses : -1 998 €
  Gains    : +1 665 €
  Result   : -  333 €

Money @bank, 1st jan 2008 : +453 €

Do you think we could survive if every PostgreSQLFr guy ask us to pay
their travel expenses?

No need to say Dalibo paid the posters this year, and other things the
last year, like Devrim's and Magnus' planes to come at SL 2007.

I'd like other companies to help PostgreSQLFr non-profit too !

------------------------------------------------------------------)

Just think about the marketing we will give to companies, and what will
be the benefits for them. I think they'd pay for it, no doubt.

-> We'll have to check companies' content about trainings!.. Without
this, how we will know if the company trains the people right ?
I know this will be really complicated to reach tough :/


My 2 cents.



PS:

1/ I ripped pgsql-general from the list of CC, I think this is more
about advocacy than general, and I'd like to avoid cross-postings in
PostgreSQL "official" lists

2/ I added Josuah's CERT list, as I think there may have some thread
with the points I enhance in this e-mail

3/ My e-mail will be

Jean-Paul Argudo <jean-paul@postgresqlfr.org>

Since this message, I ordered my e-mails accounts to have every
PostgreSQL-related e-mails sent/from jean-paul@postgresqlfr.org instead
of jean-paul@argudo.org, that will be used only for personal purpose
since then.

Please update my e-mail into your address books, thanks !

--
Jean-Paul Argudo
www.PostgreSQLFr.org
www.Dalibo.com