Re: Tech Docs and Consultants

Scott,

> My attitude comes from thinking that anyone who uses PostgreSQL is
> going to do so as part of a development project. If that were true, I
> think that my statement would follow, since I believe that anyone who
> develops well does so using version control. But maybe it's not true
> that all PostgreSQL users are developers. A mail merge is a good
> example of something you can do with PostgreSQL without being a
> developer.

And the majority of *database application developers* have no exposure to CVS,
Emacs, Latex, or similar "Unix geek" utilities.  Last I checked from Evans
Data, acutally, something like 30% of database developers got their start
with MS Access.   We want those people to move up to Postgres.

(BTW, I, like Justin, know how to use CVS but find it arcane and annoying.
Also CVS isn't the only version control system in the world, nor the easiest
to use.  May I point out that Linus has stopped using CVS for the kernel?)

Oh, and I took you out of the direct mail path, since that tirade wasn't
*specifically* aimed at you ... you're hardly the only person who's said to
me "but if they can't code raw HTML/do CVS/master latex they don't *deserve*
to participate."   Even this week.

To contrast: know why OpenOffice.org is the #2 talked about OSS project in the
world?   Because OOo has over 100 strictly non-technical marketing and
commmunity-building volunteers.  We won't get that because we are a technical
project, but we could make use of the non-technical contributors we do have
instead of giving them the burshoff.

--
-Josh Berkus
 Aglio Database Solutions
 San Francisco