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

On Tue, 30 Dec 2003, Nigel J. Andrews wrote:

> Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2003 11:12:05 +0000 (GMT)
> From: Nigel J. Andrews <nandrews@investsystems.co.uk>
> To: "pgsql-general@postgresql.org" <pgsql-general@postgresql.org>
> Subject: Re: [GENERAL] Is my MySQL Gaining ?
>
>
> Just to poke fun at MySQl:
>
> On Tue, 30 Dec 2003, Bret Busby wrote:
> > ...
> > It is alright for people in this thread, to say "But they are MySQL, and
> > MySQL is not as powerful as PostgreSQL, so who cares what advantages
> > there are in MySQL", but MySQL appears to be more mature, as it has
> > things like standardised, formalised, structured, training courses and
> > secrtifications, and, the "Teach Yourself MySQL in 21 Days" book, and
> > that series of books has set exercises, etc, to aid the learning,
> > ...
>
> I thought MySQL was supposed to be easy to install, admin and use, how come it
> takes 21 days to learn it and needs formalised training courses?
>
>
> --
> Nigel
>

So, in the absence of those benefits for PostgreSQL, all you can do is
poke fun at a better offering?

Have you read and worked through the book, as either a person who has
not worked with MySQL or the Perl DBI, or the API's in the book, or as
a person with no experience with databases? If not, how then can you
say it should take more time or less time?

Have you undertaken the MySQL certifications? If not, how can you say
that they are not worthwhile?

"Easy" is in the eye of the beholder, and, is affected by the depth into
which a person goes.

If you cannot see the advantages of formalised, structured, standardised
training and certification, then I assume that you have no
qualifications, and did not graduate from secondary school? Such things
are generally implemented at secondary school and further education, and
Informix and Oracle and Microsoft have such things, from my
understanding. And, isn't passing secondary school level exams, easy? If
not, perhaps, you should try it again, and again, until you can
confidently pass.

Some people find secondary school exams easy, others do not. Depending
on where you were educated, most countries have had formalised,
standardised, structured, education and certification at secopndary
school, and, some kind of accreditation for technical college education
and for university education. May be not, where you were educated.

Instead of going out of your way to ridicule MySQL, perhaps you should
instead, try to do what I have done; have a look at what MySQL has,
that PostgreSQL has not, and, consider how it could benefit PostgreSQL.
Unless, of course, you want for PostgreSQL to not be taken seriously,
and instead, to be similarly an object of ridicule, as its community
would appear unable to achieve anything other than ridiculing others.

It is like some sections in the Linux community, who apparently feel
that Linux has nothing to offer, and should not be taken serioulsy, so
they devote their time and effort, to ridiculing Microsoft, instead of
promoting the benefits of Linux, as they clearly believe that ridiculing
Microsoft, can apparently hide their belief that Linux is not worthwhile
in itself and that Linux has nothing to offer.

If some want to similarly regard PostgreSQL, as being so worthless, that
the best way to conceal its worthlessness, is to ridicule MySQL, then
that is unfortunate, as I believe that PostgreSQL is supposed to be
better than MySQL, it just happens to lack some of the maturity of
MySQL, as indicated in my paragraph, quoted above.

Oh, and, on that basis, remember the Beta video format? It was supposed
to be far better than VHS. But, it disappeared because VHS had greater
marketing. And, OS/2 was supposed to be far superior to MS Windows,
but, similarly, the same fate befell that, and, similarly, with IBM
PC-DOS and MS-DOS.

As it was mentioned that PostgreSQL would be around, long after MySQL
was dead and gone, perhaps not - perhaps, it may be the other way
around.

It all depends on whether the PostgreSQL community is prepared to learn
from others - remember that quote? "Those who do not learn from history,
are doomed to reapeat it". It would be unfortunate, for PostgreSQL to
disappear, like the Beta video format, due to the PostgreSQL community
not being willing to learn from others.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
 you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
  Chapter 28 of
  "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
  A Trilogy In Four Parts",
  written by Douglas Adams,
  published by Pan Books, 1992
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