Marten Mickos responds 2
So my post about MySQL AB and the Cluetrain must have hit a nerve with their CEO Marten Mickos.
Basically he started out not agreeing with me as they do get lots of good information from it.
I said they should make it optional to register, so they don’t lose customers. Basically my point in all was that they are a very Clued up company in most respects, that it was just so out of character of MySQL to do something so old school like and therefore alienating their customers. I suggested a comparing the amount of hits to that page versus the amount of actual registrations. In the end he agreed on some things and it looks like they will take it up to revision.
While I don’t like acting cluetrain transport police, the success of MySQL AB is of utmost importance to many of us for so many reasons that they don’t become just another boring enterprise software vendor. In other words, only your true friends (and little children) tell you the truth.
- They provide a great database for free that we need for our apps (Postgresql is there of course as well, but we all have our preferences)
- They provide low cost support packages that beat anything the competition has (IF we feel we need it)
- They provide a great example for other software vendors to follow
- By pushing into the enterprise world they help provide consulting opportunities for those of us with many years experience with MySQL
So I hope Marten and his team do change this which I’m positive they will. All the best of luck to Mysql 5 and for good orders sake Postgresql as well which is of course also an excellent database.
Have a look through the comments of the above post and you can read for yourself.
Create a Software Development Agreement with our free web service Agree2
Trackbacks
Use the following link to trackback from your own site:
http://stakeventures.com/articles/trackback/77
Pelle, thanks for the supporting comments. I tend to read a lot of blogs and respond to them because I have a genuine interest in understanding how our users think.
I can understand your initial and follow-up comments (and the ones of Roumen), but one thing that puzzles me is that neither of you seem to think that mysql.org (=dev.mysql.com) is a valid place to go for info. Why is that?
We have specifically created that entry page for those who are interested in the product and the technology only, and who don’t want to run into registration pages. It is full of free 5.0 info!
And then we use mysql.com as the entry page for whose who would like to do business with us (become partners or customers). I have been very proud of this ability of ours to serve two so different groups of audience.
But you seem to think that not only mysql.org but also mysql.com must be free from stuff that builds revenue-bearing business. And then I somehow feel unjustly judged, because you comment on the one registration form you ran into but not on the abundance of completely free articles and documents on mysql.org.
Am I interpreting your writings correctly here?
I could phrase the question differently: If you think that mysql.com is not an appropriate place for collecting names of prospective partners and customers, which one is?
Hope this wasn’t too much fuss about a little thing. I just want to keep an open dialogue with our community about how to best build our business.
Thanks!
Marten Mickos
Hi Marten, I am not saying that you shouldn’t be earning revenue or collecting names of prospective partners. I am just saying that requiring it is and old fashioned marketing praxis, that I believe is more damaging than good.
I have in my jobs as consultant been part of the decision making process on buying lots of enterprise software and without an exception it has annoyed me and my peers, when we have to go through registration walls.
We have limited time and patience and do not want to have to register for sales material. While I as a techie may not be the target audience for these white papers, I am also in the position where I have to sell technology to clients, managers etc. I want Mysql AB to help me out selling your software and services and not making my life difficult.
By the way. I am really glad you are taking the time for this conversation.
Regards Pelle