Re: Is the MySQL situation an opportunity or a distraction?

Nick,

> Do we really want the MySQL users?
>
> Will they be satisfied with us? -I'm not sure it is a good match.

This is a good question, and one I have often asked myself. On technical
merits alone, I would be thrilled to have MySQL have their niche and us have
ours. Unfortunately, the sales strategy of MySQL AB has made this
impossible; either we "fight back" by expanding our user base at the expense
of MySQL, or we risk becoming the BetaMax of OSS databases.

Particularly since in 2 years or so MySQL will have significantly expanded
"enterprise" capabilities, thanks to the merge of SAP-DB. The merge might
kill them, but then again, it might not.

> My fear is that too much outreach to the MySQL crowd will lead to PostgreSQL
> acquiring a split personality and loss of momentum- If we work too hard on
> the features that make PostgreSQL simple to install and administer, will it
> suck resources away from the efforts to maintain PostgreSQL as the clear
> leader in the areas of reliability and load-handling?

As long as we maintain the perspective that "ease of use" is a third or forth
priority, I don't see this as a problem. Our current list of priorities goes
something like:
1) reliabilty/stability/efficiency
2) features
3) adherence to standards
4) ease of use

But making it the 4th priority doesn't put it off the map ... far from it.

> I'd suggest that early in the advocacy process, there should be some clarity
> about the niche(s) that PGSQL is aiming for. This will help us sort out the
> opportunities from the distractions.

Sounds good to me. Your proposal?

> I'm not necessarily concluding that MySQL is a distraction, but I think the
> question is worth asking. (I have similar reservations about supporting MS
> Windows.)

Like it or not, Windows as a server OS will be with us for some time (about 8
years, my estimate). And do we really want to deny 20,000 DBAs who are
confined to Windows by company policy the opportunity to use PostgreSQL?

> Josh- this thought is an outgrowth of the short thread we had on the order
> of .conf parameter groups- The best order depends heavily on who we decide
> the target user group is. Without that decision made, the whole discussion
> is moot.

Well, given that Feature Freeze is Tuesday, I've already picked an order.
You're welcome to re-hash it for 7.5. However, it looks likely by then that
we will have one or more GUIs to configure PostgreSQL.conf.

--
-Josh Berkus
Aglio Database Solutions
San Francisco