Re: Is my MySQL Gaining ? - Mailing list pgsql-general

This has been an interesting thread, with lots of well
considered contributions.  The consensus seems to be
"PostgreSQL is plenty good enough and more, we just
need more people to know it, and an easier learning
path".

What bothers me a little here is an apparent lack of
awareness of the work of the Advocacy Group.  They
have been organized for a little over one full release
cycle, but have already begun to achieve some
impressive things.  The release of version 7.4 saw a
well prepared press release, which was subsequently
picked up by journalists and featured (often lifted
word for word) in articles in a variety of IT industry
publications around the world.  The effect was to get
our marketing material in front of the eyes of many
readers, without them having to go looking for it at
all.  When did that happen before?

I cite that as just one example of what can be
achieved by an organized and co-ordinated approach,
which is just what the Advocacy Group is working on.
The scope for more development along these lines is
huge, all that is needed is the passage of time, and
hopefully more contributions from more people.  I
recommend to all those whose interest was caught by
this thread to check out the pgsql-advocacy list, if
you have not already done so, and think about what you
might be able to add.  In answer to the obvious
question, I have been lurking on that list for a
while, and intend to make a contribution where I feel
fitted to do so.

Maybe we need to invent some new solutions, but for
advocacy at least, we already have one.

--- Ericson Smith <eric@did-it.com> wrote:
> A documentation system like the one over at
> http://php.net, would be
> fantastic for Postgresql. There could be lookups
> based on SQL commands,
> Functions, and Sitewide Searches. This alone would
> go a long way to
> expose PHP to "the masses".
>
> In terms of using MySQL or Postgresql, lets all face
> it, most data
> storage work could be easily and efficiently handled
> by text files,
> since there needs to be just infrequent inserts and
> updates, and mostly
> reads. The majority of interfaces exposed on the web
> follow this
> paradigm, and include:
> * Content management
> * Catalogs
> * Shopping cart stuff
> * User management
>
> Yes, our powerful and easy to use PG can do all of
> that too, but SQLite,
> Sleepycat DBM files and MySQL can do it as well.
> There are going to be
> even more migrations for Oracle to MySQL than from
> Oracle to PG, because
> so many of those Oracle installations were overkill
> in the first place.
> Our place is in that hoary back end that runs the
> world, the un-sexy
> part of any organization that no one outside of the
> Development team, or
> System Administrators know about.
>
> Getting mindshare is a different problem. That
> requires PG to have a
> full time effective press person. This press person
> would need to be in
> touch with the press constantly to tell them things
> like:
> * PG is a great back for windows clients using
> ODBC/MS Access/Excel
> * PG is a "real" database comparable to Oracle
> * PG costs nothing
> * Free support is fabulous, and paid support is
> available
> * Development is constant
>
> In the end, I believe that PG needs to move into an
> organizational
> structure so that its considerable assets can be
> fully realized, its
> wonderful developers may be fully compensated, and
> commercial users (our
> bread and butter), can have an official place to
> help sponsor features
> of the system and so on. All this is more than a
> website. Someone posted
> pictures of the PG booth at a show recently. It was
> nice, but there was
> this one sad guy shrouded in darkness -- I felt
> depressed, because
> that's how PG advocacy felt.
>
> Warm regards,
> Ericson Smith
> DBA/Developer
>
+-----------------------+----------------------------+
> | http://www.did-it.com | "When I'm paid, I always
> |
> | eric@did-it.com       | follow the job through.
> |
> | 516-255-0500          | You know that." -Angel
> Eyes|
>
+-----------------------+----------------------------+
>
>
>
>
> Karsten Hilbert wrote:
>
> >>I'm in a similar situation. My app is currently
> PG-only (although I
> >>_might_ be able to get it work with Firebird
> eventually). Currently I have
> >>to sell Linux to prospective clients in addition
> to my app. A native
> >>Windows version would make my life a bit easier.
> >>
> >>
> >Same here.
> >
> >Our "clients" use legacy medical office software
> that 99% runs
> >on Windows. We offer add-ons (tailored
> mini-versions of our
> >main application :-) and thus get OSS (Python,
> PostgreSQL,
> >wxWindows, sometimes Linux itself) into their
> offices and onto
> >their networks. Most of the time the main
> difficulty is to figure
> >out how to offer PostgreSQL in their environment
> (yes, we know
> >about CygWin).
> >
> >("clients" because we don't do business as in
> selling stuff)
> >
> >Karsten Hilbert, MD
> >
> >www.gnumed.org
> >
> >
> > begin:vcard
> fn:Ericson Smith
> n:Smith;Ericson
> org:Did-it.com;Programming
> adr:#304;;55 Maple Avenue;Rockville
> Center;NY;11570;USA
> email;internet:eric@did-it.com
> title:Web Developer
> tel;work:516-255-0500
> tel;cell:646-483-3420
> note:Nothing special!
> x-mozilla-html:FALSE
> url:http://www.did-it.com
> version:2.1
> end:vcard
>
> >
> ---------------------------(end of
> broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 8: explain analyze is your friend
>


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