back to article MariaDB hires new CEO with code daddy Monty in as CTO

MariaDB has welcomed Michael Howard as its new CEO. MySQL giant Michael "Monty" Widenius has also been appointed as CTO. The appointments have been announced today, alongside a $9m equity financing bundle from Intel Capital and California Technology Ventures, among others. Howard is a Berkeley graduate who has worked at …

  1. John Latham

    "Distinguishing between code and his physical being is inseparable"

    ERROR 1064 (42000): You have an error in your syntax.

  2. Robert Moore

    I moved to MariaDB when I realized it was not in Oracle's financial interest to maintain a stable MySQL.

    Here is my thought process:

    Since they won't make money off a working MySQL, it would make sense for them to introduce a "bug" or two that would not come into play until you have a certain trigger amount of data. Then break in some incredibly difficult to fix way. Then sit back and wait for you to buy a support contract. If you are big enough they can then push you to an Oracle DB. No one gets out the door with out buying.

    To be fair and honest, I have no proof that Oracle has done this. But having dealt with them in the past, it would surprise me if they had not. The Mafia has nothing on Oracle.

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      I have no love for Oracle but they have managed to get red of many of the bugs that have festered in MySQL for years.

      Sure, they want an upgrade path from MySQL cheapskates to juicy Oracle customers ready to be milked but that's business.

      In the meantime Monty and his friends can continue to make a shitty database worse. I don't think they even figure on Oracle's radar any more.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Robert, a wee paranoid?

      Let's imagine that Oracle did indeed do this. look at VW and Dieselgate - everyone gets caught in the end. And then gets their name dragged through the mud and then fined and then sued.

      Oracle may be many things but to deliberately sabotage one of its own products? That is getting deep into conspiracy theory.

      P.S. The Register uses MySQL but we are thinking about moving to MariaDB

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Robert, a wee paranoid?

        And then gets their name dragged through the mud ...

        Oracle have been doing things to get their name dragged through the mud, repeatedly, for many years. It doesn't seem to have slowed them down in the slightest, nor even be factored into their thinking in any way.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Robert, a wee paranoid?

        I've been running MariaDB for a couple years, no problems (other than being a fork of a poorly designed DBMS which is still infinitely better than the wannabe CMS that depends upon it) - knock on wood.

        Oracle, dear sweet Oracle... why would they sabotage a low-end open-source product they own in name only, which has 2 or 3 popular forks they don't control, which isn't an appreciable revenue source for them? I would ask, why not? They're greedy cutthroat bastards who do that kind of thing everyday before breakfast. They make Microsoft look saintly.

  3. Paratrooping Parrot
    Coffee/keyboard

    You got me worried for a moment! I thought you were talking about the Tory MP.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    MariaDB... potential Oracle acquisition?

    Their new CEO seems like a good guy. One strong area of concern though... the companies he has run consistently seem to be acquired by larger players.

    That might play into Oracle's hands, as yet another acquision.

    1. DainB Bronze badge

      Re: MariaDB... potential Oracle acquisition?

      Erm... why would Oracle buy (inferior) product that is based on code Oracle already owns ?

      1. Captain DaFt

        Re: MariaDB... potential Oracle acquisition?

        "Erm... why would Oracle buy (inferior) product that is based on code Oracle already owns ?"

        Ah... Do you want the PR version with "synergies", and "value added" BS?

        Or do you want the realistic "To let it wither, then kill it to decrease competition" version?

        1. DainB Bronze badge

          Re: MariaDB... potential Oracle acquisition?

          Buy competitor for product that already does not make any money and shut it down to continue to not make any money ? Sounds like a plan.

  5. Bitbeisser

    Now if MariaDB closes the still existing performance gap, then we could all forget about MySQL and/or Oracle...

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