[consulting] Who exactly is this list for?

[Brian Vuyk]

Andrew,

(I apologize if this is a little long and rambling - I don't have a 
chance to go over it and cut it down before I meet with a client!)

I probably wouldn't refer to myself as 'tool-agnostic' since I use 
Drupal on 95% of my projects. It's my go-to software provided the 
project isn't one of the small number which aren't suited to Drupal.

I agree with you that the conversations on this list should be aligned 
with proliferating Drupal in a responsible manner. I know I wrote this 
in an earlier post, but I want to emphasize it again as I believe it 
lies at the root of our disagreement: Being mostly consultants on this 
list already familiar with Drupal and its capabilities and shortcomings, 
I don't think much is lost recommending Drupal-only solutions to them 
regardless of suitability. However, I think it would be irresponsible 
of/to the Drupal community to recommend Drupal to a newer Drupal user 
for a job it is not cut out for. This is likely to leave the user 
frustrated with Drupal, and leave a bad impression of this software.

I have much confidence that many of us, on this list, could make Drupal 
do whatever we wanted it to given enough time and dev money. However, 
there are others on this list who can't - they just don't have the 
experience or depth of knowledge yet. When someone asks about whether 
Drupal is suited for a given project, I will do my best to recommend 
what needs to be done to accomplish it with Drupal. I think it's also 
valuable to make the person aware of the challenges implementing it in 
Drupal over another software package would introduce.

I think this mailing list has the potential to be one of the best tools 
for improving Drupal in the community. As a group, I imagine we put 
Drupal through a larger variety of real-world projects than any other 
group. I also believe that we have the best view of Drupal's 
shortcomings. This is what we can use to improve Drupal.  I believe open 
and honest discussion as to the suitability of Drupal to various project 
types will drive improvement.

I don't believe that being a 'Drupal Consultant' requires you to only 
use Drupal, and ignore its shortcomings. I enjoy hearing reasoned 
arguments over why someone chose 'X' software package over Drupal - it 
helps me, in my role as a Drupal Consultant, to advise my clients on 
whether or not Drupal is suitable for their projects.

Brian





Andrew R. Kelly wrote:
> Brian,
>
> Your response is in line with what I was thinking about after my last post,
> that there are varying types of business models on this list, from
> individual Drupal experts to tool-agnostic experts (like yourself) to
> Drupal-based solution providers (like my firm).  These different models are
> manifesting themselves in conversations, which I believe is harmful.  IMO
> conversations on this list should not be aligned with member business
> models, they should be aligned with proliferating Drupal in a responsible
> manner.  So as an example, I'd be disappointed if someone posted to this
> list "I have a lead on an engagement to provide discussion forums to a
> client, how do I position Drupal against vBulletin?" and have "They really
> should use vBulletin it's a better product" be an acceptable response.  Why?
> Because Drupal forums are a viable market player and this group, in this
> particular setting, cares about proliferating the use of Drupal, not
> ensuring that Company X (who we don't even know) has a good discussion
> forum.
>
> I mean no disrespect, just trying to gauge the culture of this list.  If I'm
> in a minority that has Drupal as a cornerstone of their business then so be
> it I'll shut up :)
>
> Btw the vote is a good idea but I think this conversation is worthwhile
> along side it.
>
> Andrew  
>
>
> Andrew,
>
> As much as some day I hope Drupal is able to be everything to everyone, 
> it still does not match up to standalone solutions in some areas such as 
> wikis or forums. *puts on asbestos underwear*
>
> The work I do isn't necessarily about promoting Drupal. It's about 
> providing my clients the best solution to their needs at the best price. 
> In most situations, Drupal is the solution of choice. However, I can't 
> in good conscience recommend a client use Drupal if all they want is a 
> forum (for instance). The costs of making a pure Drupal solution match 
> up to the feature set of VBulletin is cost prohibitive if that is what 
> the client wants.
>
> Like I said above - I love Drupal, and will use it as far as is feasible 
> to accomplish my clients' objectives. But it's just one tool in the 
> toolbox, and occasionally, it's not the right one from a cost/benefit 
> perspective.
>
> Brian
>
>
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