Re: Help me improve the 9.2 release announcement!

Joshua

Don't shoot the messenger. I'm just quoting Josh. And, BTW, from my
experience as a dbIgnoramus, I have to agree with his description.

To all you dbExperts on this list, I'd like to mention my own recent
experience with PostgreSQL that demonstrates the barrier to entry for people
trying to swing across from MySQL or other databases.

I decided recently that I would make time to really try to understand the
features and benefits of PostgreSQL. Thanks to the great Enterprise DB
installer package, I was able to install the software without any problems.
One barrier down!

And I found the wiki documentation really easy to follow, up to the point
when it starts to jump into object-relational blah blah blah.

Yes, I understand OOP and relational databases but when applied together,
the language is almost meaningless and more importantly: its significance to
me in developing a database. So I went to Wikipedia and elsewhere for an
explanation. That was worse. Much worse.

I've been building successful database applications for 25 years without a
problem. So I though the transition to PostgreSQL would not be too
difficult. Well, it is - if you haven't graduated from college in the last
10 years or invested 1000s of hours in private study.

Unless you folk want to continue being an object-relatively exclusive club,
you need to make information more accessible. I can cite numerous examples
in other industries where the second-or-third-best product dominates the
market by keeping the message simple and the product accessible.

So here is my offer: I am prepared to work (on Skype) with one or more
individuals who can explain the significance of Josh's no doubt,
illuminating announcement, and I'll write a media release for the rest of us
mortals.

And I'm willing to do this on any PostgreSQL text, as long as there is
someone ready to give me context to work with.

If there is a really well-written book that would break down the barriers
for me, what is its title? My PostgreSQL textbook would stop a tank!

Getting the right balance seems to be a problem. But it's a problem that
needs to be solved if mere mortals such as myself are ever going to make the
transition.

Apologies for the length of this post. Thank you for your time.

Rob Napier

On 8/08/12 7:08 AM, "Joshua D. Drake" <jd(at)commandprompt(dot)com> wrote:

>
> On 08/07/2012 02:00 PM, Rob Napier wrote:
>
>>> Can someone suggest a way to work range types into a simple, 2-part
>>> theme which doesn't obscure the JSON message?
>>
>> As for the WeirdNewTypes, it needs a simple lo-tech way of explaining it.
>> Maybe a short, simple example of how it is applied.
>
> "CoolNewTypes"
>
> Weird implies well wierd, they aren't weird, they are cool, hot, nifty,
> rocking.
>
> jD
>