[Discuss] Rob Conery's critique of MySQL?

[blu at nedharvey.com (blu)]

> From: discuss-bounces+blu=nedharvey.com at blu.org [mailto:discuss-
> bounces+blu=nedharvey.com at blu.org] On Behalf Of Rich Braun
> 
> Being the one who kicked off this thread, my original goal was to get specific
> technical arguments (plus a couple of business arguments like the ratio of
> MySQL-experienced DBAs to PostgreSQL DBAs available on the job market)
> to
> present to decision-makers who control what technology to use on new
> projects.
> 
> So far at work I've got MyWay or the HiWay from the bosses: thou shalt use
> MySQL.  Period.  Suits me OK because I already know its quirks well, but it
> looks to me like more than ever the alternative of PostgreSQL (and no other
> FOSS product) is viable for small and large companies alike.
> 
> But the thrashing of this discussion thread has given me nothing to send off
> to the senior tech architects at my office.  

Most importantly, the differences usually don't matter.  It's like me on the subject of iphone vs android, sure I have strong opinions and I can back them up, but most people just don't care, because either option is acceptable.

It sounds like you disagree with their decision, but you don't have enough reason to justify the level of disagreement you have, so I would recommend finding your inner peace and remembering to focus on things that really matter - and if this is the most important issue right now then remember to focus instead on other things like getting some exercise, lowering your blood pressure, tell your family you love them, etc, read a book.  It's a personal self awareness problem and personal emotion management problem more than anything else.

I'm not saying there's no difference between pg and mysql.  I'm saying instead:  In the specific situations where one is better than the other, your decision is made for you, because then you'll have a solid justification.

On this mailing list, we have a lot of people of strong opinions, and in this case, clearly mostly biased for pg.  But elsewhere I have encountered just as many people who feel just as strongly about mysql being better than pg.  I could expand on that, but I don't envision a positive outcome.  It's religious mostly.