Summary: Groklaw believes that Microsoft plays a role in sabotaging MySQL; Roughly Drafted Magazine explains how Sun and Oracle come to Microsoft's rescue

THE other day I argued an opinion, claiming that evidence suggests Oracle is bad news for MySQL. It's not just gut feeling but the result of analysing and looking at literally hundreds of posts and articles on the subject (I spend the better part of my day doing this).

I almost always agree with what Groklaw has to say, but in this case there is insufficient evidence to show that Microsoft may be interested in MySQL (it would be too complicated), as opposed to damaging it, which would still not explain MariaDB and other key factors; yet Pamela Jones warns that Microsoft might be behind an attempt to harm or to buy MySQL. To quote just a few portions (the allegation is better defended when read in its entirety):

Monty Widenius has posted a press release, urging Oracle to sell MySQL to a third party, and there is a link to the materials that he and Florian Mueller, who is working with him, provided to the EU Commission, which appears to have influenced it to delay approval. I've been reading all I can find on this topic, and I'd like to tell you why I think the community should support the Oracle deal. The most important reason is that opponents are trashing the GPL [PDF] and calling it a source of "infection" in their FUD submission to the EU Commission.

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Update: I see Matt Asay has jumped on board the antiGPL FUD too. Folks, there is no difference between Sun owning MySQL and Oracle, as far as forking rights. Duh. What is this? An elaborate Microsoft production by proxy?

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Get the picture? He makes a list of who would have the money to buy MySQL. Guess who is number one on the list? Microsoft.

Speaking of Sun and Oracle, the other day we showed that a known Microsoft shill blamed them (along with Linux) for Microsoft's Danger disaster. We covered it in:

• Microsoft Pink is Already Declared Dead and Danger Dies with Permanent Data Loss
• Microsoft Sued for Data Loss
• Lawsuits Against Microsoft Turn to Class Action Lawsuit While Microsoft Mobiles Become Dying Breed
• Microsoft Recovers Sidekick Data? Not So Fast!

Roughly Drafted, which is another independent thinker like Groklaw, argues that Sun and Oracle actually saved Microsoft amid the Danger disaster, not caused it any trouble. From the analysis:

Sun, Oracle save Microsoft’s Pink after Danger data disaster

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“It will take several days to actually get the database back up,” the source noted, echoing earlier reports that indicated that it took 6 days just to create a normal full backup of the data. The time and storage resources involved in backing up the tremendous amount of data were cited as the reason why Microsoft’s Roz Ho reportedly instructed Danger employees to proceed with work without the full backup in place over their objections, after sources say she was assured by Hitachi that a full backup was not necessary.

Salvaging the damaged data storage without a real backup in place takes even longer, the Sun storage expert explained. “The first thing to do is wheel in a big pile of new disk space, and copy the individual disks so there is a raw backup. This is like making a copy of a jigsaw puzzle one piece at a time. Then they would assemble the puzzle using the copied pieces, in case any pieces need to be re-made from the original.

So there. Sun appears to be saving Microsoft here. It's not the culprit as the Microsoft crowd wishes to spin this. ⬆