Re: [GENERAL] Re: [HACKERS] [Fwd: SGVLLUG Oracle and Informix on Linux] - Mailing list pgsql-general

On Wed, 22 Jul 1998, Bruce Tong wrote:

> My comments are driven by perceptions. I admit they're uninformed. The
> topic is advertising PostgreSQL, so my perceptions are relevant. Educate
> me and the masses about your product. I'm hear because I think PostgreSQL
> is a useful tool.

    Perceptions from the 'admittedly uninformed' helps...:)

> > > I say this with these (mostly uninformed) assumptions in mind. Oracle's
> > > ODBC driver is probably more complete. Oracle is better documented. Oracle
> > > has a lot of related tools. Oracle offers training.
> >
> > What does Oracle's ODBC driver offer that ours currently doesn't?
>
> I just tried it for the first time last week. It failed to perform a
> simple query. I need to double check my work yet. The Oracle ODBC driver
> has _probably_ been around for a while and has _probably_ been better
> tested perhaps simply by raw numbers of users.

    Have you mentioned this on pgsql-interfaces@postgresql.org?  David
and Bryon are both very vocal over there, and are quick to pop up to help
those using the ODBC drivers, as they are the ones that are developing it.

> > Have you looked at recent documentation? It has changed
> > dramatically over the past couple of months...
>
> I like to think I check your docs regularly, but I'm sure there's stuff I
> miss. From my experience documentation is examples, HOWTO's, web sites,
> and man pages which are all good approaches. The trouble is there is no
> place which coordinates this. Searches tend to be a brute force effort for
> me because I do not yet understand how the material is organized. I'm sure
> if you've been around PostgreSQL for a couple of years you know the sorts
> of things to expect to find in the man pages. To me, I never would have
> thought to search the man pages for GRANT and REVOKE, or any SQL for that
> matter.
>
> In fact, documentation is probably the only place I can help your
> development effort at this time since I cannot see the big picture. Hence,
> the journal I'm keeping could be turned into a tutorial, which I suppose
> it actually my goal.

    Any comments, opinions or suggested changes is welcome...are you
on the pgsql-docs mailing list?

    As for your perception of the documentation, have you checked out:

        http://www.postgresql.org/docs

    recently?  I've recently done a major cleanup of it so that the
links there are presented a little more clearly, but there are 5
guide/manuals listed right at the top that you might find sligthly more
informative those docs you list above...

 > > > What do you mean by "related tools"?
>
> Good question. What is Oracle Power Objects? What is Oracle/2000? I see
> these things advertised. What do they do, and is an equivalent available
> for PostgreSQL assuming it is a relavent product?

    I don't know, can't help you there...I don't use Oracle, so
someone with experience in that area will have to pop up and help :)

> > Training in...administration?  We run it at my "real job", and
> > Oracle *has* to offer training for administration...its a
> > nightmare.
>
> Administration, yes.

    So far, my experience with PostgreSQL has been that
'administrative functions' tend to be few, but there is a Administrator's
Guide that documents, I think, most of what you need to know.

    My opinion, though, tends to be that I learn more from a book,
then from other ppl, except for clarification of what I've read...

> > Again, what are we missing that Oracle currently has...?
>
> If you offer the same features, then list those features in a comparison
> on your web site. Take a "See... we do everything Oracle does.

    Hasn't been updated in awhile, but see:

    http://www.postgresql.org/comp-comparison.shtml

> That's my experience too. Notice I didn't mention paid support. My point
> here is if there's a list for Oracle, then you are the same in this
> category.

    That depends...we are only the same if you get similar support
through the Oracle list as you do here...