What is ora2know?
One week ago, on November 18, 2024 we founded ora2know, the new German Oracle User Group. The focus of the new group is the Oracle Database and its users. If you like to participate and/or attend our meetings, please register with our newsletter!
We want to do community-style meetings, one-day events, hacking nights, cool content, amazing speakers, and all that makes good memories!
Who is ora2know?
ora2know is mostly what YOU make it to be. It is an organisational structure based on a volunteer board, that helps YOU to do community things in Germany (and maybe neighbouring countries): Meetings, Online Events, Podcasts, Video formats…
ora2know was founded by the six board members:
We will start with some ideas, but we need YOU!
Why not DOAG any more?
For over 10 years, I was an active member of DOAG, in the day the “Deutsche Oracle-Anwendergruppe = German Oracle User Group”. Even before COVID, the world changed, and database was not the cool and hip thing for young people to do any more. So user group attendee numbers declined, and DOAG had to re-think things, restructure and try something new. Opening up for heterogenous technologies outside the Oracle universe seemed to be a good idea at first. All of us supported the idea, some in an enthusiastic way, others reluctantly. But we voted for it.
In the end, and latest after COVID, the organisation “DOAG” somehow took the wrong turn. Parts of it started detesting even mentioning Oracle, and there were no majorities for Oracle topics to be had any more. Some examples:
- The first DOAG cloud conference did not bear any sign of Oracle at all.
- It is frowned upon to mention the name Oracle when it comes to recruiting the Next Generation of DOAG. Why? Because it was said that young people would be scared away by it. In my opinion, this was the end of DOAG being an Oracle user group.
- This year, finally, DOAG made the step and removed my focus technology from the name at all, DOAG is now a standalone brand, the “O” does not reference to Oracle any more.
- On top, the commercial part of DOAG, the company, developed a de-facto Veto habit “due to commercial concerns”. Doing something Oracle Database that needs money to kick off? No thanks, that’s not a growing market.
Trying to change DOAG from within did not work for three years – so it was time to move on. DOAG will continue doing some Oracle stuff, and this is why I am a member still, and why I will offer my content for their events. But my time as an active volunteer is officially over. I intend to spend my time with useful things, that do not leave me puzzled, make me feel bad or even make me angry – and that’s ora2know!
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