{"id":918,"date":"2009-02-09T17:07:21","date_gmt":"2009-02-09T22:07:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alsplace.aldenbaker.com\/alsplace\/software\/918\/the-mysql-boys-leaving-sun-need-not-be-a-big-deal\/"},"modified":"2009-02-09T17:08:34","modified_gmt":"2009-02-09T22:08:34","slug":"the-mysql-boys-leaving-sun-need-not-be-a-big-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/alsplace.info\/?p=918","title":{"rendered":"The mySQL boys leaving Sun need not be a big deal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n

February 7th, 2009 <\/h4>\n

Posted by Dana Blankenhorn<\/p>\n

cialis discount price<\/a> border=”0″ title=”monty-widenius” width=”175″ height=”197″ \/><\/a>Michael “Monty” Widenius<\/font><\/a> (right), author of the original mySQL, has left the company <\/font><\/a>to launch a new start-up, Monty Program AB<\/font><\/a>.<\/p>\n

He joins former CEO Martin Mickos on the outside looking in<\/font><\/a>.<\/p>\n

This has led to much wailing and gnashing of teeth, not just here but elsewhere<\/font><\/a> in the computer press.<\/p>\n

Please excuse me if I don’t join in.<\/p>\n

For me this is a case of deja vu all over again<\/font><\/a>. One of the first stories I covered here involved the acquisition of the JBOSS framework by Red Hat and the subsequent leave-taking of its founder, Marc Fleury. <\/font><\/a><\/p>\n

As with many today <\/font><\/a>I was certain this was the end of JBOSS, possibly of open source itself.<\/p>\n

I was wrong.<\/p>\n

Some in the old JBOSS team did leave, and pretty quickly, after Marc did. But they landed on their feet. Some went to their own start-ups<\/font><\/a>, others became key men within other open source companies. JBOSS survived, too. It took time to digest, and it found new competition<\/font><\/a> along the way, but the ending is not an unhappy one.<\/p>\n

With the perspective of time I suspect things will be the same in this case. The only surprise to me is that Mickos and Widenius stayed as long as they did.<\/p>\n

Entrepreneurs are a special breed, not built for suits and hierarchies. They can’t handle people over them saying no, and they should not have to.<\/p>\n

They’re too precious as what they are. Open source needs more great entrepreneurs, and to have two with experience back in the fray is very exciting. The mySQL deal was worth $1 billion. Money won’t be a problem for their next projects.<\/p>\n

All Monty has so far is a Wiki page<\/font><\/a>, where he talks about building a transactional storage engine for mySQL dubbed Maria, and a branch of the language supporting it. That’s good, for him, for us, and for mySQL. A project becomes powerful as it builds an ecosystem which supports it, and no ecosystem can be contained within four corporate walls.<\/p>\n

Besides, if Sun messes up with mySQL, remember that it’s open source. The code still lives. Mickos and Witinius could then fork it and it would continue moving forward. I hope they don’t have to, because working on cool new stuff is always more fun than maintaining the old stuff.<\/p>\n

The JBOSS deal worked out great for everyone. I think the mySQL deal will do the same. So, too, will its founders. And so will all of us.<\/p>\n\n

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