Re: Slashdot discussion

PostgreSQL:

Early on, it was quite a bit easier to find resources on the Internet
pertaining to MySQL. PostgreSQL info is out there, but I had to look a
bit further to find it. #mysql has much more activity than does
#postgresql, and since I prefer this method of communication over
mailing-lists, I found this to be very much in MySQL's favor.

The MySQL installation was somewhat more straightforward, but I didn't
find the PostgreSQL installation to be terribly intimidating.

I found MySQL to be significantly easier to use, however, once I started
experimenting with basic functionality. Most tasks in MySQL were
straightforward, so I was surprised to find that the same tasks in
PostgreSQL required much more effort (for example dropping a column, or
changing a column's data type). Further, I ran across a web-based
administrative program called WebMin that has a MySQL module. For a
novice user like myself, this kind of GUI simplifies things tremendously
and has really made working with MySQL much more pleasant in comparison.

As I learned more about the advanced features PostgreSQL offered, I
became concerned that MySQL might not be desirable for my application.
But I shortly realized that while PostgreSQL includes support for
advanced functionality such as Transactions, Subselects, Views, etc.,
it's not likely that I'll have the skills to take advantage of these
features for quite some time. And since it seems reasonable to expect
that MySQL will add many of these features in the near future, it makes
sense for me to go with MySQL for my application.

Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind. :-)

Peter Eisentraut wrote:
>
> Bruce Momjian writes:
>
> > OK, thanks to the www.phpbuilder.com PostgreSQL/MySQL comparison, there
> > is another PostgreSQL/MySQL thread on shashdot.org. Looks interesting,
> > and of course, we are looking good too.
>
> Is anyone else noticing this: Everytime this sort of thing comes up a
> number of people invariably tell that they are using MySQL because it's
> easier to install, and that PostgreSQL is difficult ("a pain") to install.
>
> I've studied the MySQL installation instructions, and they don't strike me
> as inherently simpler. Is it only perception, or what can we do better?
>
> --
> Peter Eisentraut Sernanders väg 10:115
> peter_e(at)gmx(dot)net 75262 Uppsala
> http://yi.org/peter-e/ Sweden