Re: DOD Use of Free Software

Robert,

> The main reason I bring it up here is that PostgreSQL is
> conspicuously
> absent from the list of open source software currently being used,
> although I would swear I've seen a couple of emails come into the
> list
> from folks involved in military work. Additionally, the report
> describes
> MySQL as "...the world's most popular FOSS database. It is fast,
> full-functioned, and precise enough to be used in both heavy load and
> mission critical applications".

I read the report too. There are *numerious* inaccuracies regarding
specific software packages; for example, OpenOffice.org was listed as
"Open Office", a GPL-licensed package (It's LGPL) yet "Not completely
Open Source" (it is). So both our omission and the failure to mention
MySQL's limitations are undoubtedly the result of sloppy research
rather than any specific decision by the writers.

However, this points out a bigger problem, which is that, through
Monty's relentless marketing, people have come to think "Open Source
Database = MySQL", sort of like "Word Processor = MS Word". Not that
I begrudge Monty his success -- after all, better MySQL than MS SQL
Server -- but it's a situation we desperately need to rememedy.

Part of that, we'll do through press releases. Just keeping our name
in the tech press will make a significant difference in people
remembering we exist.

But, I was thinking: currently, SAP DB and Phoenix are in the same
boat as us ... both good, Open Source databases with less-than-stellar
name recognition. Is there any way we could team up with the
volunteers on those two projects to promote "Open Source Database
diversity"? OpenOffice.org is gaining a lot of ground in Europe by
teaming up with KOffice, AbiWord and GnomeOffice to break the MS
file-format lock. Surely there's some way for us to pool our
resources with other database projects for similar promotion.

-Josh Berkus