Posted on 5 Comments

Never attribute to malice… MySQL Training in Australia

Sometimes you don’t quite know what to think… last month MySQL (the company) had no courses in Australia listed in their schedule. They do a few courses a year, schedule them, and they disappear from the schedule when they’re full – which, given one active MySQL salesperson since the start of the year, is happening.

Anyway, all of a sudden there were some new ones in the schedule (that’s ok, must publish some time) but they’re fairly short notice (about one month, rather than 2-3 months ahead), and one is on a similar topic as one of the Open Query courses, in a location that MySQL has not previously been to. And aside from the short notice, the state in question had its winter school holidays two weeks of the period between announcing and the course, so that makes the lead time even shorter.

Now we know, “never attribute to malice what can easily be attributed to ignorance/stupidity.” Shall we leave it at that? What do you think…

But, I hear you ponder, MySQL does not actually have any trainers in Australia! That’s right. Because MySQL does not wish to partner/contract Open Query for training courses (since I also do my own training materials/courses), they actually fly in a trainer from the US or Europe. As I understand it, they spent USD 5k earlier this year for flights from the US for a one-week training course. Not sure about the economics of that 😉

Posted on 5 Comments

5 thoughts on “Never attribute to malice… MySQL Training in Australia

  1. large corporates are concerned more about credibility than cost.
    by using the US trainer with the US materials they know that they are giving a ‘quality’ course.

    If they were to run your course they would need to check out who you are, and audit your materials and all that stuff. That would probably be seen as quite close to a 5k. I’m not saying your course isn’t good. it is just unknown to the person who is making the decision.

    BTW.. it costs much more than 5k to fly someone from LA to OZ. he would have probably gone business class.

  2. I think your answer is a bit generic…. do consider the following:

    Aussies like being served by fellow Aussies, they don’t appreciate or respect foreigners just swooping in. They wonder, why isn’t there a local doing this, we have plenty local expertise here!

    They wouldn’t need to check me out, I used to be the MySQL trainer for this region, part of the original training team from 2001!
    Contracting, I would obviously use MySQL’s own materials, I’d just be contracted as a trainer to deliver their training. I think my own materials are better, but that’s another matter entirely 😉

    The flight cost that much because it was last minute (as usual).

  3. MySQL does have one Australian trainer. He just doesn’t live in Australia.

  4. True, that! But they haven’t sent you here, have they. It’s Tom, Sarah, Kai.

  5. By my own choice to be fair. I have been asked if I was interested, but declined.

Comments are closed.