feat: Update README with alpha details (#25822)

README.md

@@ -5,14 +5,42 @@
     <img src="assets/influxdb-logo.png" alt="InfluxDB Logo" width="600">
   </picture>
  <p>
-InfluxDB is the leading open source time series database for metrics, events, and real-time analytics.</p>
-
 </div>
 
+InfluxDB Core is a database built to collect, process, transform, and store event and time series data. It is ideal for use cases that require real-time ingest and fast query response times to build user interfaces, monitoring, and automation solutions.
+
+Common use cases include:
+
+- Monitoring sensor data
+- Server monitoring
+- Application performance monitoring
+- Network monitoring
+- Financial market and trading analytics
+- Behavioral analytics
+
+InfluxDB is optimized for scenarios where near real-time data monitoring is essential and queries 
+need to return quickly to support user experiences such as dashboards and interactive user interfaces.
+
+InfluxDB 3 Core’s feature highlights include:
+
+- Diskless architecture with object storage support (or local disk with no dependencies)
+- Fast query response times (under 10ms for last-value queries, or 30ms for distinct metadata)
+- Embedded Python VM for plugins and triggers
+- Parquet file persistence
+- Compatibility with InfluxDB 1.x and 2.x write APIs
 
 ## Project Status
-This main branch contains InfluxDB v3 in pre-release and under active development. Build artifacts are not yet generally available and official installation instructions will be coming later this year. For now, a Dockerfile is provided and can be adapted or used for inspiration by intrepid users.
 
+InfluxDB 3 Core is in public alpha and available for testing and feedback, but is not meant for 
+production use. During the alpha period we may make breaking changes that will require you to blow 
+away your data and start over. You should have copies of your data in other places during the alpha 
+period. Both the product and this documentation are works in progress. New builds get created on 
+every merge into main, so things will be moving quickly for the next month or so. We welcome and 
+encourage your input about your experience with the alpha. Join the [InfluxDB3 Discord](https://discord.gg/vZe2w2Ds8B) 
+or the public channels below.
+
+See the [InfluxDB 3 alpha release announcement here](https://www.influxdata.com/blog/influxdb3-open-source-public-alpha/) 
+or dig into the [InfluxDB 3 getting started guide here](https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/core/get-started/).
 
 ## Learn InfluxDB
 [Documentation](https://docs.influxdata.com/) | [Community Forum](https://community.influxdata.com/) | [Community Slack](https://www.influxdata.com/slack/) | [Blog](https://www.influxdata.com/blog/) | [InfluxDB University](https://university.influxdata.com/) | [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@influxdata8893)
@@ -25,7 +53,7 @@ We have nightly and versioned Docker images, Debian packages, RPM packages, and
 
 - For v1 installation, use the [main 1.x branch](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/tree/master-1.x) or [install InfluxDB OSS directly](https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb/v1/introduction/install/#installing-influxdb-oss).
 - For v2 installation, use the [main 2.x branch](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/tree/main-2.x).
-- **v3 development is on this main branch. This project is actively under development and is not considered stable.**
+- For InfluxDB 3 Core alpha see the [InfluxDB 3 Core getting started guide](https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/core/get-started/).
 
 If you are interested in building from source, see the [building from source](https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/blob/main-2.x/CONTRIBUTING.md#building-from-source) guide for contributors.
 
@@ -33,7 +61,7 @@ To begin using InfluxDB, visit our [Getting Started with InfluxDB](https://docs.
 
 
 ## License
-The open source software we build is licensed under the permissive MIT and Apache 2 licenses. We’ve long held the view that our open source code should be truly open and our commercial code should be separate and closed. 
+The open source software we build is licensed under the permissive MIT or Apache 2 licenses at the user's choosing. We’ve long held the view that our open source code should be truly open and our commercial code should be separate and closed. 
 
 
 ## Interested in joining the team building InfluxDB?