Someday, I'll have a chance to design some halfway decent drupal ads. In the meantime, however, I can only offer some general thoughts on how Drupal could become the poster child for good grassroots open source marketing.

The Focus of Our Marketing SHOULD NOT BE Drupal

Drupal's biggest problems, in terms of marketing is two fold:

• Our marketing is not getting people's attention. I think the majority of new users had to seriously educate themselves before they understood that drupal was the right choice.
• Even when we do get their attention, our current marketing fails to seduce them.

To put it differently, Drupal keeps messing up first Dates.

Dating Advice for Drupal

Have you ever watched a really BAD first date? Well, I certainly have. I work 10-12 hours a day at a busy coffee shop near University of Texas. I witness at least one bad date every day. Oddly, the most common mistake I've observed in dating apply directly to drupal marketing efforts.

Don't Talk too Much

And for god's sake, don't talk too much about yourself. This is the number one screw up guys make on dates. They talk. I can't tell you how many times I hear from friends, "Well, I thought he was cute, but then he just started talking, and talking, and talking... I was so bored. "

Similarly, drupal's date is unlikely to care that it's a framework, and a CMS. Drupal needs to understand that their date is still "getting a feel" for Drupal.

Skilled daters know that on the first date, you ask your date questions. When they give an answer, you make an effort to empathize, to understand, to agree (but this is best done in a way that makes them laugh, or intrigues them).

The goal of your questions is to find some weird passion, ideal, or activity which both of you share. More often

My dear readers, its time for me to make a confession. Blogging is indeed a self-empowering practice which boosts my self esteem;but I often have no idea what to write about. Thankfully, I occassionaly have readers who ask questions which I can not only answer, but maybe even respond to with a reasonably entertaining blogpost.  Russ from Media Experiment asks one of those questions: