Thread: Re: [pgsql-advocacy] What can we learn from MySQL?

Andrew Payne wrote:
> Also, Apache never had "MyApache", a more popular version that many believe
> to be "free" and "open source".
>
> My point:  Apache was successful in a situation that may not apply here.
>
> Does anyone know of an open source project that *has* successfully displaced
> a market of mature, established products WITHOUT a commercial entity
> providing marketing, support & direction?

Linux.  It doesn't have a single company behind it, but several.

--
  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
  pgman@candle.pha.pa.us               |  (610) 359-1001
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  13 Roberts Road
  +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073

Bruce wrote:

> > Does anyone know of an open source project that *has* successfully
displaced
> > a market of mature, established products WITHOUT a commercial entity
> > providing marketing, support & direction?
>
> Linux.  It doesn't have a single company behind it, but several.

Uh, no.  Linux HAD a commercial entity providing marketing, support, and
direction.  Red Hat went a long, long way to making Linux real for
businesses.  They were (are) a well-funded entity, focused on Linux
adoption.  Their early success, in turn, validated the business (a) so
competitors got funded and (b) so established companies (e.g. IBM) started
to pay attention.

(This is not meant to give all credit to Red Hat:  if it wasn't them, it
would have been some other similar group).

So, does anyone know of an open source project that *has* successfully
displaced a market of mature, established products WITHOUT a commercial
entity providing marketing, support & direction?

If not, where's the Red Hat for Postgres?

Good discussion!

-andy