Re: Postgres v MySQL 5.0

Hi,

if you guys are really serious about wanting to win over people who are
mysql users or are the people currently served by them .. then you have
to put in some serious PR efforts to pound it into peoples brains that
PostgreSQL is just as easy to use. MySQL throws around the 15 minute
rule for installation. My last PostgreSQL install definitely made this
mark without any extra tuning. And yes the MySQL install gives you a few
choices about the type of work load you expect. And yes MySQL has
replication build in. It also supports charsets etc. And from a checkbox
perspective it pretty much supports everything else there is.

So again you have to make a concerted PR effort with a stream of
published articles in magazines, conferences, blogs and news items where
you highlight the ease of installation (this include some sort of
replication as MySQL has established that benchmark).

Also people need to hand hold middleware language and framework
projects. So that they feel cool about supporting this superior
database. It should make them all fuzzy inside. People give PostgreSQL
credit for having all the enterprise features in a more complete
fashion. Now you need to make it clear that its supported in all sorts
of applications.

However, before the fun can really begin you need to make it easy for
hosters to setup PostgreSQL. Make sure hosters can put in solid quota's
for disc space, memory usage, CPU usage or whatever so that they can
create nicely distinct packages for their users.

Now the question is, do you guys really want to put in that much effort?
I am all for making as much things as easy as sensible. But imho
PostgreSQL is best served if you guys focus on what has distingished it
from MySQL. And that is providing a platform with superior SQL standards
completeness and compliance. And extensible framework that promotes user
choice over one size fits all defaults.

regards,
Lukas