MySQL 4.0.x

[Lamar Owen]

On Monday 17 May 2004 02:22, Chris Kloiber wrote:
> Do you think complaining to Red Hat about MySQL is going to change
> MySQL's licensing? The reported exception has been found to be
> insufficient. Until that changes, MySQL has licensed themselves into
> obscurity, just like XFree86 has. Game Over. Use postgres.

While I, for somewhat obvious reasons, would love to see PostgreSQL gain 
mindshare, this isn't the way to make it happen.  I have held my tongue every 
time this issue has come up; I have wanted to cry aloud 'Just use PostgreSQL 
then, since it has NO licensing issues of this kind!' : but I have refrained.  
As I am a member of the PostgreSQL Global Development Group it would look 
very bad for me to say that.

PostgreSQL is doing just fine without that kick; it is continuing to gain 
mindshare with every release, features are being added, and in general one of 
the highest quality community processes out there is still Just Working.  We 
(the PostgreSQL Global Development Group) are doing just fine, thank you.  

At the same time, MySQL has it's uses.  I cringe to see it used for accounting 
(MySQL's handling of overflow is less than optimal), but it does have its 
uses.  I prefer PostgreSQL (and have used it for years in mission-critical 
areas), but the beauty of open-source is that I have choice; neither MySQL 
nor PostgreSQL are going away any time soon, and there's plenty of room for 
both.
-- 
Lamar Owen
Director of Information Technology
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute
1 PARI Drive
Rosman, NC  28772
(828)862-5554
www.pari.edu