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From: Jan Lehnardt <jan@apache.org>
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Subject: We need a better slogan
Message-Id: <B2E9549F-FC68-42FE-A88C-3B7B969D6837@apache.org>
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2014 21:31:06 +0200
To: marketing@couchdb.apache.org
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Apache CouchDB=99 is a database
that uses JSON for documents,
JavaScript for MapReduce indexes,
and regular HTTP for its API


What a bunch of baloney! I only say this because I helped to write and =
publish this. Noah and I developed this in the running up of the 1.2.0 =
release that coincided with the new website that was meant to be a =
watershed-the-draught-years-are-over release. I think it fulfilled its =
purpose, but it won=92t suffice today.

The CouchDB slogan, or byline, or motto is titling all our public =
communication: It=92s the first thing thousands of visitors on our =
website see. It is the first line in all our board reports and it is the =
introduction in all our release announcements. It=92s the one sentence =
that gets quoted the most and as it stands it is a wasted opportunity, =
as it is not sticky, not memorable and not aligned with our goals.

We need a slogan that rolls of anyones tongue. We need a slogan that =
captures succinctly what makes CouchDB unique. We need a slogan that =
captures our values.

I realise that this is a MAJOR bike-shed and that=92s why I am bringing =
this up here rather than dev@ for now. I=92ve tried dev@ before and it =
didn=92t go anywhere. My strawperson proposal there was =93CouchDB,a =
database that replicates=94 and while that is a lot sickier, doesn=92t =
really help either.

Over drinks with Noah and Dave in Berlin last winter we improvised a few =
slogans that would capture the (what we think) value of CouchDB, rather =
than the technicalities of it. The last thing we arrived at is =93CouchDB =
puts the data in your hands.=94. It isn=92t perfect, but better what we =
have now and it opens us up to fill in all the background story that we =
need to make that claim: capture the ecosystem of Couch-Replication =
compatible projects and the distinct values of their interoperability.

What I=92d like to see in this group to take this proposal and evolve it =
into something we are all comfortable with. We can then prepare all our =
public facing properties to reflect the changes and see how that goes.

I deliberately steer this away from a website redesign, or major rework =
on our messaging or even a lengthy philosophical debate on =93the why of =
CouchDB=94 in order to actually just figure out a better slogan that we =
can use to move forward.

What do you think? :)

Best
Jan
--=20


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