Jonathan Vanasco wrote: > with mysql5 , they decided to make mysql easier for everyone by setting > a default to ignore errors and coerce the data into a valid format
Not true, MySQL has always treated data that way, that's one of the reasons many DBAs didn't take it seriously. Only in 5.0 did they finally add those strict SQL modes. They may not be the defaut yet, but that's because they would break many existing apps. Although I think the last time I used the Windows installer, the Strict mode checkbox was actually enabled by default. MySQL may not be the most standards conforming database, but it's improving, not the opposite, like you make it sound.
