IMO, marketing has to do with managing (and steering) expectations. For the generally accepted explanation, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing
Marketing OFBiz to either the development community or others will always be an uphill battle, when you don't have a plan. And I think that is the underlying issue. More on this later... Since 2006 I have followed the mailing lists (all of them of OFBiz), reacting on entries there, occasionally created awareness for issues (by registering them in JIRA) and providing patches and improvements. Like all of us I have only limited time available for OFBiz (the project), as it is not the source of income. And I see a lot of involved and enthousiast persons doing the same as I do. When feeling a pain with OFBiz (the product) I try to take the pain away. And if there is time to spare I bring back to OFBiz (the community). Without any (perceived) commitment or responsibility. The general approach seems to be: 'Yes, it will happen when it happens'. I even see committers taking this further: plemping code straight into the trunk (or removing from) without prior consensus of the community, and then thumping their chests and hailing (marketing) their prowess. Is this how it's supposed to be in this project/communtiy? Back to the underlying issue. I have come to believe that OFBiz is a project without a plan. Yes, we have the marketing documents (about the product, project and the community members), but only about what is/was and what has happened. But we have nothing to say about what is going to be or happen. Maybe on an individual (member) level to an individual customer (group). But not as WE the community/project. And this should change if we want to able give more praise, business, etc to our members. How can we get new followers and old interested when we can't even say: Look guys. This is what we are working on and it *will* be available at such and such moment. Please come back here to check on our progress and other plans. Journalists and other followers are looking for this. And this is what we have to do and do it regularly. But we can't do this when we don't have a clue what is going to happen with the product and project. We can only comment vaguely about what is happening in JIRA and in mailing lists. But not about the way forward. And not to loud as it might bite us in the behind. Maybe it is time for a change. But another change than implementing yet another wheel (or bathtub) on the car. Or replacing one working wheel with another. Regards, Pierre Smits
