Thread: [hypothetical product] support of PostgreSQL

People,

We just got a post to pgsql-announce like this:

> [SnakeOil] is planning to add support of PostgreSQL to the [SnakeOil] Engine
> product, and could use the help and expertise of people within the Postgres
> community to ensure that we are building a product that works well for
> Postgres environments.
> 
> Customers use [SnakeOil] to eliminate obstacles for agile development and to
> move apps/DBs into their private cloud infrastructure (including Unix to
> Linux conversions). We are currently also used for critical enterprise
> applications like SAP and Oracle EBS, for datacenter consolidation, and to
> improve SLAs for database data protection. While agility and productivity
> benefits outweigh cost savings, our software will often pay for itself in
> storage, backup, and operating cost savings.
> 
> 
> Here's a link, if you'd like to see how Facebook reduced its financial
> close from 21 to 2 days with [SnakeOil]:
> http://www.example.com/resources/.
>
> Please let me know if you're interested in hearing more about the product,
> providing input, and/or being a Beta tester oft he product.

Of course, it isn't exactly snake oil that they're selling.  But the
post was rejected (rightfully, ISTM) by a pgsql-announce moderator, and
the person posting it just wrote to the pgsql-announce owner to ask
about this rejection:

> Can you please give me some info about why my post was rejected? I'm
> not sure if I need to re-formulate it or if the subject is
> inappropriate.

What do we want to tell them?

Jonathan S. Katz wrote:

> > What do we want to tell them?
> 
> Could cite this part of the policy -
http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/NewsEventsApproval#Proprietary_.26_External_OSS_Project_News
> 
> The description does not fit any of what we allow for proprietary projects - it seems like a "call for developers to
assistus in our project" as opposed to announcing any types of news or releases.  Announce is used for PG / PG OSS
familysoftware updates, PG-related proprietary product *releases* (in a limited quantity), and PG conferences.
 

Agreed.

Should we just slam the door on their nose?  Or do we suggest, perhaps,
a post to pgsql-general?

-- 
Álvaro Herrera                http://www.2ndQuadrant.com/
PostgreSQL Development, 24x7 Support, Training & Services

* Alvaro Herrera (alvherre@2ndquadrant.com) wrote:
> Jonathan S. Katz wrote:
>
> > > What do we want to tell them?
> >
> > Could cite this part of the policy -
http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/NewsEventsApproval#Proprietary_.26_External_OSS_Project_News
> >
> > The description does not fit any of what we allow for proprietary projects - it seems like a "call for developers
toassist us in our project" as opposed to announcing any types of news or releases.  Announce is used for PG / PG OSS
familysoftware updates, PG-related proprietary product *releases* (in a limited quantity), and PG conferences. 
>
> Agreed.
>
> Should we just slam the door on their nose?  Or do we suggest, perhaps,
> a post to pgsql-general?

A post to -general, or maybe -jobs if they're willing to pay for help,
would be fine.
Thanks,
    Stephen

On Jul 29, 2013, at 1:19 PM, Stephen Frost wrote:

> * Alvaro Herrera (alvherre@2ndquadrant.com) wrote:
>> Jonathan S. Katz wrote:
>>
>>>> What do we want to tell them?
>>>
>>> Could cite this part of the policy -
http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/NewsEventsApproval#Proprietary_.26_External_OSS_Project_News
>>>
>>> The description does not fit any of what we allow for proprietary projects - it seems like a "call for developers
toassist us in our project" as opposed to announcing any types of news or releases.  Announce is used for PG / PG OSS
familysoftware updates, PG-related proprietary product *releases* (in a limited quantity), and PG conferences. 
>>
>> Agreed.
>>
>> Should we just slam the door on their nose?  Or do we suggest, perhaps,
>> a post to pgsql-general?
>
> A post to -general, or maybe -jobs if they're willing to pay for help,
> would be fine.

+1 - maybe tone down a bit on the marketing and focus on the product problems they need help with.

On Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 11:40 AM,  <alvherre@2ndquadrant.com> wrote:
> People,
>
> We just got a post to pgsql-announce like this:
>
>> [SnakeOil] is planning to add support of PostgreSQL to the [SnakeOil] Engine
>> product, and could use the help and expertise of people within the Postgres
>> community to ensure that we are building a product that works well for
>> Postgres environments.

If I was responding to SnakeOil CEO, here's what I would say:

ISTM the right place for this is postgresql.org "latest news" section. this gets you on the .rss feed and seems to have
along established
 
history for 3rd party tie-ins.  -announce is for internal project
announcements.  Blogging about how your project ties in to postgres is
also perfectly ok and if you're judicious about which posts get tagged
to postgres you can get exposure on planet as well (and this is very
advisable IMNSHO for building mind-space).  Postgres blog posts tend
to be very high quality and thus attract the right kind of people.

The mailing lists (even though you can get away with -general) are a
poor place to advertise postgresql-based commercial projects,
particularly if your software leans in the integration side of things
vs libraries and developer support.  Also points get docked if your
solution is not open source and/or is too 'salesy'. It just turns
people off.  Personally, if I were inclined to do it, I would write a
detailed blog post about how my $solution benefits postgres developers
and post a terse well-subjected email on -general that points to the
blog post.  This will annoy people a lot less since it moves the off
topic discussion onto the blog where it belongs.

merlin