SQL Loyalty And Competition

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10.21.08

SQL Loyalty And Competition

By Savio Rodrigues

MySQL's Kaj Arno has an interesting post titled: "On Loyalty, Competition and Underdogs". Kaj starts with his son's list of reasons to stay with Bayern Munchen, the longtime favorite, or why to switch to TSV 1860, two German soccer/football teams. Kaj then draws parallels to the Oracle or MySQL question.

These facts speak for continuing as a Bayern fan (... as an Oracle user):

1. I am still a member (I still use Oracle)
2. A sold-out stadium looks good (Oracle Datacenter looks good)
3. All my Bayern fan gadgets (all my Oracle fan gadgets)
4. The feeling of "Your hatred is our pride" (ditto)
5. German Premier League and Champions League, at least for the time being (ditto)
6. Some good players, such as Ribéry
7. I was always a Red [fan of Bayern], and "conversions" is bad form (I was always a fan of Oracle and ...)

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This speaks for a switch to TSV 1860 (... a switch to MySQL):

1. I'll get tickets much easier (MySQL is lots easier to obtain)
2. My school is full of Lions [fans of 1860], I'd have fewer fights (there are so many MySQL Forums with helpful co-developers, even a MySQL Forum on Oracle)
3. The transfer policy of Bayern (the sales policy of Oracle)
4. The atmosphere in the stadium is somewhat better (the atmosphere at the MySQL user's conference is clearly better)
5. Being an underdog feels good
6. More creative fans, including songs (there are creative MySQL songs, too!)
7. Sometimes when Bayern plays, you're the only one who sings in your area of the stadium (plenty of MySQLers sing, even on YouTube!)
8. Frequently, Bayern fans are Bayern fans only "because they always win" (Frequently Oracle fans are Oracle fans and not Open Source fans, "because you're not fired for buying Oracle")

BTW, Kaj, I find this A vs. B choice somewhat at odds with MySQL's smart positioning of itself as not competitive with Oracle. As you say:

"Well, we don't really compete heads-on with other databases. We co-exist! Just as an example: Over a third of respondents in an Oracle User Group survey said they also use MySQL", I answer.

Maybe you need to buy your son season tickets to Bayern *and* TSV 1860? ;-)

Comments

About the Author:
Savio Rodrigues is a product manager with IBM's WebSphere Software division. He envisions a day when open source and traditional software live in harmony. This site contains Savio's personal views. IBM does not necessarily agree with the views expressed here.