I guess I will now be looking at how to port my Drupal installations to PostGreSQL, since Sun sold out to Oracle. The Java issue doesn’t impact me, as I saw the writing on the wall as regards to Java a long time ago.
However, support for MySQL will most likely be completely undercut, if not eliminated. Or it will go through that fine Oracle touch, which means you can’t depend on support for the database in the future—not without it being either bloated, or “monetized” in some way. This is how Oracle works.
I can hear it now: But MySQL is open source. Oracle can’t hurt it, because it’s open source!
Being “open source” will protect MySQL. Yeah, right. And I believe I’m Superwoman and can’t be hurt by bullets, so just shoot me now.
I completely forgot about Sun and OpenOffice. I use OpenOffice for all of my writing. Guess I can kiss that good-bye, too.
I’d like to just kick IBM right now, for transmorphing back into the stupid, clumsy Big Blue dinosaur of days of yore. It let itself down, by not buying Sun. And it let the rest of us down, too.
Interesting reading the old post on Sun buying MySQL AB, from last year.
I think Sun is the best possible buyer, because of the following reasons: (Note that this is of course my interpretation)
- Sun is committed to open source.
- Sun doesn’t have an database of their own; In other words, no risk of internal conflicts between similar products.
- Sun understands what it means to be a virtual company where people work from home.
- Sun has a good understanding of developers needs and there is a good chance that the integration of the two companies will be relative smooth.
- Sun has said they will let the MySQL developers continue work as before in their own unit and without big changes (except of course changes for the better!).
Of course, the early founder of MySQL left Sun, and started another open source MySQL company. We’ll see where this goes.
Last update, but the original founder of MySQL, Michael Widenius, has posted a note on the Oracle/Sun merger and MySQL.
The biggest threat to MySQL future is not Oracle per se, but that the MySQL talent at Sun will spread like the wind and go to a lot of different companies which will set the MySQL development and support back years.
I would not like to see this happen and I am doing everything I can do to keep this talent pool together (after all, most of them are long time personal friends of mine). I am prepared to hire or find a good home (either at Monty Program Ab or close to it) for all core MySQL personnel.
The man is probably inundated with resumes right now.