Re: Event Spam..???

Dave Page wrote:
> Chander Ganesan wrote:
>
>> Also, I notice a lot of events in the training database that seem to be
>> dedicated more to "lead generation" than a reasonable effort to run a
>> training course. For example, 'Certfirst' lists PostgreSQL courses
>> throughout the US in a wide range of different cities. It is my belief
>> that these courses listings are designed not to actually offer a wide
>> range of courses, but to maintain a "main page" list of courses to
>> generate leads. Is this an acceptable practice? I'd hate to see a
>> bunch of vendors adopting this practice to be competitive....
>>
>> It seems to me that such a practice would not be to the benefit of the
>> community - since it wouldn't help community members find events that
>> were actually running - rather it would put them in touch with companies
>> that could add them to their marketing databases (or they'd get taken
>> with a "bait and switch" - where they sign up for a class in the
>> Bahamas, but end up being redirected to a course in Chicago).
>>
>
> I agree it's not good if that is what they are doing, but do you have
> any proof? How would we distinguish between that, and say a dozen
> courses put on by EnterpriseDB, Command Prompt or OTG?
>
I see your point. However, perhaps there is some other mechanism or
restriction that can be put in place to limit the likelihood of this
(one course of one type per month, a limitation on annual courses
listed, or a "per listing" fee charged to not-for-free companies)? Such
restrictions would at least limit abuse to some extent.. Or perhaps
limiting listed courses to states where companies are registered as
corporations... Such information is freely available, and it could be
required that companies provide a link to their articles of
incorporation in the states where they provide training - easy to check
without undue work on those that filter events...

If others (ourselves included) are forced to take the same action to be
competitive then it results in a reduction in the usefulness of the
tool. One could argue that removing it entirely to prevent abuse would
be less disruptive than having PG related companies flounder due to the
actions of a few "bad citizens".
>> Also, how about putting a disclaimer on the training pages indicating
>> that the listing of training courses doesn't constitute the endorsement
>> of a company by the PG community - and that customers should do their
>> own due diligence to ensure they get what they pay for. I think many
>> customers look at a listing of training and consider it to be an
>> endorsement by the community..
>>
>
> I haven't gone quite that far, but following a discussion with Magnus I
> have added a line saying that PGDG doesn't endorse any third part events.
>
> Thanks, Dave.
>
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--
Chander Ganesan
The Open Technology Group
One Copley Parkway, Suite 210
Morrisville, NC 27560
Phone: 877-258-8987/919-463-0999
http://www.otg-nc.com