Ubergeeks: Making your car invisible to traffic cameras, one SQL Injection Vulnerability at a time…

     At the beginning of last year, Matt Mullenweg of WordPress stated that the takeover of MySQL by Sun Microsystems was, “a good thing.”  Being that MySQL is the world’s most popular “free” Database solution, I immediately registered my concern, based on the twenty years of experience working with Sun’s products, vendors and support staff, and the general malaise that has existed at the company since 2002.

     A software developer, working on a for-profit website, contacted me today, more than a little worried over something Sun had told them…

     “Since you’re running your application on top of MySQL, you are required to purchase an enterprise license for MySQL.”

     So it seems that Sun wants to change the terms of the Free, Open Source version of the MySQL product such that any software developer who allows the use of their Free, Open Source backend has to pay Sun a small fortune for an Enterprise MySQL License.  Not only is it complete and utter bullshit, this is typical of Sun’s usual strong-arm tactics which nearly every commenter on Matt’s article warned about.

     In nearly all instances of PHP software development, MySQL is merely being used a storage backend.  No part of MySQL is being reproduced or packaged with any PHP software that I can think of, whether said software is Open Source, GPL, Freeware, or a Commercial Product.

     And if they are willing to lie and attempt to cheat software developers out of their meager savings, then how well does this bode for future software development using MySQL as a backend? 
     Will Sun attempt to go after for-profit Internet Service Providers who provide users with the ability to devlop their own Database applications, or use MySQL as a backend to other web-based applications?  Will Sun attempt to go after Hosting providers who do the same?

     You can expect as much from a company who was a proven track-record of being one of the most greedy corporations on the planet.  If it weren’t for their benefactors in the US Government, who heavily utilized their overpriced hardware and ridiculously priced “Platinum” support packages, Sun would have gone bust a long time ago.  But, with your tax dollars footing their equity, Sun even managed to send their multi-million dollar Platinum Support customers to deal with ill-trained, rural support staff based in India… So much for Platinum, eh?

     PostGreSQL is looking better and better…