[consulting] Who exactly is this list for?

[Andrew R. Kelly]

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