PostgreSQL <> MySQL: missing the point? - Mailing list pgsql-advocacy

Hi!

I sometimes have fun flaming about MySQL vs. PostgreSQL on various
Russian-language forums. This is an enlightening experience, 'cause you
see what sort of advocacy is really needed and really helps building up
your flaming skills, as there are many Russian-speaking developers in
MySQL AB now.

Thus much praise goes to Ian for compiling his excellent "gotchas" list
that can help a lot in flaming. But I see no such use for "the bullet
list": I don't see target audience for it.

There are 2 sorts of people using MySQL:
1) Those who know several RDBMSs and use it only when it is the best
tool for the job (read-only web DB, storing logs, etc)
2) Those who know only MySQL and think that it is the Ultimate Solution
for Everything.

The propaganda should obviously be directed to the category 2) and if
you look at MySQL's propaganda, it is. The "bullet list" will not help
here, as these people do not know SQL and RDBMS theory past MySQL manual
and do not want to learn, while they *think* that MySQL satisfies their
needs and will satisfy them for some time.

Thus what is really needed is *not* technical document, but a healthy
dose of FUD / debunking directed at MySQL. Consider "Why not MySQL?"
document by OpenACS developers, but newer and better.

Some suggestions for such a document:

Development strategies:
* PgSQL has an open development model and open architecture, while MySQL
is developed by MySQL AB only and is closed. Thus there are third-party
solutions for PostgreSQL (PostGIS, tsearch, various replication
packages), but not for MySQL.
* "Premature optimization is a root of much evil" --- an excellent
counter-FUD for MySQL's "speed is a priority"
* I remember finding an email by Monty on mysql list archive, dated
1998(?) where he promised MySQL 4.0 Really Soon Now

Licensing:
* MySQL had atleast 2 license changes, PostgreSQL had none.
* Various companies that distribute and support PostgreSQL vs. MySQL
AB/Nusphere dispute

Data integrity:
* Ways to lose your data with MySQL --- Ian's gotchas list
* If MySQL is so stable, why does it have myisamchk utility and
*built-in* REPAIR TABLE command?
* InnoDB's hot backup utility is not free: either transactions or "hot"
backup.

Functionality
* OK, bullet list here.

Speed:
* PostgreSQL's functional and partial indexes: KILLER feature that
should be SHOUTED about.
* Benchmarking queries vs. benchmarking applications with a s*itload of
workarounds

MySQL current favourite is eweek's benchmark (
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,1184846,00.asp ) , it should be
debunked:
* The queries are really simple
* The specification was written in a way to work around MySQL's shortcomings
* MySQL's performance is great only with "cache", but every other
database can have an app-level cache, too.


How does it sound?