Re: Postgres v MySQL 5.0 - Mailing list pgsql-advocacy

Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> On Fri, 2006-11-10 at 19:26 -0500, Robert Treat wrote:
>> On Friday 10 November 2006 17:39, Joshua D. Drake wrote:
>>>> Now the question is, do you guys really want to put in that much effort?
>>>> I am all for making as much things as easy as sensible. But imho
>>>> PostgreSQL is best served if you guys focus on what has distingished it
>>>> from MySQL. And that is providing a platform with superior SQL standards
>>>> completeness and compliance. And extensible framework that promotes user
>>>> choice over one size fits all defaults.
>>> I am still wondering why the PostgreSQL *community* is trying to compete
>>> with the MySQL *Corporation*.
>>>
>> Because the postresql *corporations* don't provide as many resources as the
>> mysql *community* ?
>
> Could that be because the postgresql corporations don't run into people
> actually using MySQL over PostgreSQL?
>
> I mean really... let's look at the majority of MySQL users out there.
> Now lets look at the majority of PostgreSQL users out there.
>
> If you are a developer and you say:
>
> Well I loaded PostgreSQL and I loaded MySQL and MySQL was faster... well
> you are a pretty stupid developer and I wouldn't hire you and I feel
> sorry for the person who did.
>
> A smart developer, will review his options. A smart developer knows
> there is more to it than just plugging it in and watching the flashing
> lights. There are times when MySQL *is* faster and more approporiate to
> use than PostgreSQL and vice versa.. but the plug-n-play argument is
> false.
>
> It reminds me of the conversation I had with a java developer on
> #postgresql . They guy logs on and says,
>
> Dev: PostgreSQL is slow
> Me: What seems to be the problem
> Dev: I am using Hibernate and my queries are slow
> Me: Do you vacuum? Did you analyze? What does the explain say?
> Dev: parse error
> Me: ??maintenance
> Dev: You mean there is stuff you have to do to the database beside
> Hibernate config?
> Me: /quit

Well I think you fail to understand here that a developer != DBA. So a
developer without a DBA is smart if he chooses an RDBMS that requires
little manual maintenance. MaxDB in theory tries to fill that niche, but
its too hard to setup initially and not integrated into enough
applications. Firebird is also big in this area. Much easier to setup,
but also lacks wide adoption. So the point is MySQL gives decent enough
performance initially. It allows you to get up and running. And once you
have invested this initial time, you are more likely to spend the
additional time/money to tweaks things once you hit a wall. But at that
point you can actually afford to do so!

So the point is: MySQL is a perfectly valid choice for most developers,
even if they are aware of its limitations.

My point is: Cater to the DBA's of the world, that are very willing to
learn how to manually tune PostgreSQL.

regards,
Lukas