NewsOpen Source PostgreSQL Is Not MySQL

Open Source PostgreSQL Is Not MySQL

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There’s been a lot of talk lately about Oracle’s takeover of MySQL and what will happen to the popular database server. Well now the less-popular, but arguably better, open source PostgreSQL database has been pulled into the fray.

Recently Monty Widenius, the creator of MySQL and opponent of the Oracle takeover, had this to say. “This case is about ensuring that Oracle doesn’t gain money and market share by killing an open source competitor. Today MySQL, tomorrow PostgreSQL. Yes, PostgreSQL can also be killed.”

Well, not so fast Monty.

Greg Sabino Mullane on his End Point Blog wrote that the PostgreSQL project is much more diverse in terms of developers, and it is not owned by a single corporation such as Sun Microsystems which currently controls MySQL.

PostgreSQL has more than 30 core developers working at several companies.

“If you look at the people on the community contributors page,” wrote Mullane, “you’ll see that the 32 people work for 24 different companies.”

And if Oracle wanted to start gobbling up PostgreSQL developers they would have to either buy the companies that employ them or buyout the developers individually.

That would be tough even for Oracle. Some of those companies are Google, RedHat and NTT which according to Mullane is bigger than Oracle.

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