Re: [HACKERS] Enticing interns to PostgreSQL

On Fri, Jul 22, 2005 at 10:04:42PM -0700, Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> In all, I think you would be amazed at how aggressive PostgreSQL is on
> the business side, we (the community) just do it differently than a lot
> of traditional companies.
>
> We have a lot of word of mouth, a lot of the consultants and companies
> look out for each other, warning of potential bad customers etc... We
> also cooperate to publicize PostgreSQL as a whole.
>
> We don't in general run a lot of press, but then again we typically
> don't have to.

One problem with that is: where do people go when they want to find out
about PostgreSQL and MySQL? To the websites. Currently, MySQL has 1/4 of
their front page dedicated to "Discover how Global 2000 companies are
cutting their database costs by 90%". And "Over six million
installations use MySQL to power high-volume Web sites and other
critical business systems including industry-leaders like The
Associated Press, Yahoo, NASA, Sabre Holdings and Suzuki." Our site has
nothing like that.

If you dig into the websites, it just gets worse.
http://mysql.com/industry/: "Cox Communications powers massive data
warehouse with MySQL." The custormer's page lists over 100 entries. Case
studies, white papers, etc.

Of course it's easy for a commercial company to hire a full-time MarCom
person (or team), but given the number of commercial companies
supporting PostgreSQL we should be able to do just as good a job at
messaging, if not better. Heck, I bet even the 'small' companies
supporting PostgreSQL together are larger than MySQL AB, let alone
companies like Fujitsu.
--
Jim C. Nasby, Database Consultant decibel(at)decibel(dot)org
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