Canvas vs. Moodle

Re: Moodle needs more marketing (and research). What kind?

by Rick Jerz -
Number of replies: 3
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Hi Visvanath,

I appreciate the conversation.  I will try to bring it back to a point where I think it began.

A moodle proponent says "My school wants to change it's LMS.  They are not considering Moodle because no one from Moodle is available to come to my school to make a proposal as to why Moodle should be considered.  Why doesn't Moodle do a better job at marketing their product?"

The answer (via my own interpretation of Martin's comments, and others): "1) Moodle doesn't market its product because Moodle is open-source.  2) Contact a Moodle partner.  A Moodle partner can provide both the product (i.e., a server) and support.  3) Have users of Moodle explain the benefits of Moodle to your school."  (Some schools do not trust #3.)

As an analogy, I live in the country and sometimes there is a need to cut down an old tree.  If I were a school, some school might say "let's get bids from three companies who can come in and cut down this tree."  However, I would say "I can pull out my chainsaw and cut it down myself."  Some schools would probably say "You can't do that!"  (My response would be... "I already have.  You are wasting time."

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In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Moodle needs more marketing (and research). What kind?

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
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Hi Rick,

sorry, I can not answer that. Hope an "authority" would help.

Only thing, again we have a language issue. You wrote:
> 1) Moodle doesn't market its product because Moodle is open-source. 2) Contact a Moodle partner. A Moodle Partner can provide both the product (i.e., a server) and support.

For me the "product" is the software Moodle. Managing a server for a customer and/or providing support are _services_. Just for the record, not terribly important.
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In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Moodle needs more marketing (and research). What kind?

by Rick Jerz -
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I was trying to keep this as much an apples to apples comparison.  I could be wrong, but I think when the other LMS companies sell their products, they always provide (at least) a minimum level of support.

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In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Moodle needs more marketing (and research). What kind?

by Colin Fraser -
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"... LMS companies sell their products, they always provide (at least) a minimum level of support." hahahahaaaa!!!! The emphasis is on the word "minimum" - support costs money and eats into profits. 

Your earlier copy of a post: 

A moodle proponent says "My school wants to change it's LMS.  They are not considering Moodle because no one from Moodle is available to come to my school to make a proposal as to why Moodle should be considered.  Why doesn't Moodle do a better job at marketing their product?"

<style="developing rant">This indicates that administrators want to be spoken at, they want it all handed to them on a platter, essentially intellectual laziness I suggest. Little wonder fancy brochures and slick sales reps acquire business for poor products. Why talk to an actual user with no idea of the background to the decision, without any real expertise in the bureaucratic processes? What is their opinion worth? Now, if it was someone in a position of authority, someone who knows the bureaucratic processes, well, they are worth listening to. Trouble for me is that people like this often talk the talk, but they just can't walk the walk. They get sucked into a particular regime, like the Apple For Schools Program, or Microsoft Certification, and this stifles inquisitiveness in other products, other, possibly better, methods or tools. Look at Dave Perry's comment from 9 April, this is classic bureaucratic-proprietary business methodology. Suck in a leader and everyone falls into line. ...[EDITED/Redacted]...  I run into this all the time and find it disappointing.</unending>

  

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