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Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2013 14:03:08 +0200
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 <CAL+Y1nt6VbaQPYJJKD+4fcr7kKmx00o2sHLTZd7v5T44mpraEA@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: What's our Why?
From: Dave Cottlehuber <dch@jsonified.com>
To: dev@couchdb.apache.org
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On 24 July 2013 14:06, Noah Slater <nslater@apache.org> wrote:
> Benoit,
> "Painless distributed systems" is also a step in the right direction for
> answering the question "why?"

+1 I like this.

> So far we have:
>
>     * Relax
>     * Decentralised web
>     * Peer-to-peer replication of apps and datasets
>     * Your data, everywhere
>     * Put the data where you need it
>     * We handle your data / you handle display
>     * Painless distributed systems
>
> Somewhere in here ^ (and perhaps in a follow up reply) is a single shared
> value system. Something we all hold dear.
>
>
>
>
> On 24 July 2013 12:48, Benoit Chesneau <bchesneau@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Anyway, CouchDB is not like apple or dell. This isn't a company. And we
>> don't have to share all the same vision, but only common values, a core.
>> I'm not sure it enter in the what you describe. What kind of vision are =
you
>> speaking about?
>>
>> Also I would remove any pro-tip from your mail if we want to start from =
a
>> neutral base.
>>
>> Couchdb is known for the replication but not only. Couchapps and the way
>> people hack around is another (hoodie, kanso, erica/ couchapp all
>> differents visions of what is a couchapp but all are using couchdb the
>> same_.. Message hub is another (nodejistsu, hoodie are using couchdb as =
a
>> message hub somehow, not only but a lot of their arch is based on change=
s).
>> And now we we can add some kind of big data handling. Not forgetting peo=
ple
>> that are using apache couchdb on their mobile, they exists and the patch=
es
>> will be release.
>>
>> All have different visions. But they share some common features. I don't
>> want to forget someone because of a vision of some. I only know that
>> couchdb has some strong features that could be improved.
>>
>> All that to say that rather than thinking to a vision, maybe we could
>> collect all the usages around and see what emerges from it. What are the
>> core features, What couchdb should focus on and itterrate depending on t=
he
>> new usage. I guess it's some kind of philosophy: "relax we take care abo=
ut
>> your data and the way you exchange and render them wherever they are".
>>
>> - benoit
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Jul 24, 2013 at 1:24 PM, Noah Slater <nslater@apache.org> wrote:
>>
>> > Hi devs,
>> >
>> > I came across this video recently:
>> >
>> > Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action
>> >
>> http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.ht=
ml
>> >
>> > In it he sets out what he calls the Golden Circle:
>> >
>> > Why
>> >
>> >     - What's your purpose?
>> >     - What's your cause?
>> >     - What's your belief?
>> >
>> > How
>> >
>> >     - How do we do it?
>> >     - How does our product differentiate?
>> >     - How are we different?
>> >     - How are we better?
>> >
>> > What
>> >
>> >     - What do we do?
>> >     - What do we make?
>> >
>> > He points out that the difference between companies like Apple and
>> > companies like Dell.
>> >
>> > Dell tells you what they do, and how. "We make great computers. They'r=
e
>> > well designed and work well. Wanna buy a computer?" Most companies do =
it
>> > like this. But they often miss out the "why".
>> >
>> > But then you look at Apple, and they do it the other way around. Apple
>> tell
>> > you what their purpose is. The rest is almost an afterthought. "We
>> believe
>> > in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking different. We do
>> that
>> > with great design and a focus on the user experience. We just happen t=
o
>> > make computers." He then joking quips: "Ready to buy one yet?"
>> >
>> > (His talk gives several other examples, with his thesis being that
>> telling
>> > your story from the outside in is what separates all the great compani=
es
>> > and leaders. One of his main examples is the Wright brothers.)
>> >
>> > He comments that if you talk about what you believe, you will attract
>> those
>> > that believe what you believe. That when you talk about what you belie=
ve,
>> > people will join you for their own reasons, for their own purpose. And
>> that
>> > what you do simply serves as proof of what you believe. Or as he quips=
:
>> > "Martin Luther King gave his 'I have a dream' speech, not his 'i have =
a
>> > plan' speech."
>> >
>> > Why am I bringing this to the dev list?
>> >
>> > Because our message stinks. "Apache CouchDB=99 is a database that uses=
 JSON
>> > for documents, JavaScript for MapReduce queries, and regular HTTP for =
an
>> > API" is a terrible way to introduce who we are, what we stand for, and
>> why
>> > we build this thing. (And I'm allowed to say all that, because I'm the
>> one
>> > who wrote it, with lots of help from Jan.)
>> >
>> > So what am I proposing? I'm proposing that we figure out our why. That=
 we
>> > figure out what we stand for, what we believe in. And then we figure o=
ut
>> > how we're gonna do that (pro tip: replication is more important than t=
he
>> > data format we use). Not only will this define a consistent internal
>> vision
>> > for the project (what *are* we working towards anyway?) but it will he=
lp
>> us
>> > to attract people who believe in what we believe.
>> >
>> > So, if you have any thoughts about this, speak up!
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> >
>> > --
>> > NS

Somewhat belated but here's my 2c.

I got started with couchdb because the thing I wanted to do *did* need
simple & reliable web/html access, didn't need middleware, didn't need
a complex sql setup. It fit a document style db very well and in the
end the company I worked for decided to use sharepoint (go figure) so
I left them and stayed with couchdb of course.

TL;DR replication + JSON + HTML makes some things *very* easy. And the
API behind it means that scaling up/out/down is trivial, compared to
other solutions.