The MySQL conference of 2013 (Percona Live) is behind us and we saw all the MySQL players come together again in one place. Lots of sessions and people all able to talk and learn together. It got me thinking and for some reason today I developed the following thoughts.
The MySQL Community is a vibrant and intelligent community. We are made up of top engineers, powerful software companies, as well as eager and excited newcomers eager to volunteer and learn. Like any community, things change and we debate over the validity of those changes. We have shown concern over the MySQL bug database changes and heard Oracle's response. We have shown concern over the ability to provide enhancements or patches, and heard Oracle's response. We have valid concerns and Oracle has valid responses. It is up to us how much we continue to volunteer and support the MySQL Community as a whole. I of course hope we all continue to support it regardless of which flavor or MySQL you decide to use, MySQL, Percona or MariaDB.
What we do need is continue the support of volunteers as a whole:
I am only one,
but I am one.
I cannot do everything,
but I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do
the something that I can do.
What I can do, I should do.
We all need to also:
- Recognize that problems exist
- problems of some kind always will
- Negotiation of our social contract should occur
- Accept our personal responsibility of community success
- Encourage community leaders who can empower others
- Encourage a sense of hope, opportunity to others in the community
- Acknowledge that major problems can rarely be solved by a single jurisdiction
- Share resources, power and information.
"Liberty and duty, freedom and responsibility. That's the deal." -- John W. Gardner
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities - brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.”
John W. Gardner
(American Writer and Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, 1912-2002)
So how can you currently help:
