Obviously you don't agree with me and that is something I readily accept. I do have difficulty with the fact that you clearly spent more time typing your response than considering my points, which were intended to be constructive.
>> You got the truth. Would you prefer someone lie to you about it? I will assume that your interest in mysql and participation in this list indicates that you are somehow involved in the process of software development. What is less clear is whether this may be a hobby or your profession. If it is the latter, I would love to know where it is that one can work in this industry where one is not expected to make projections about when project milestones might be met. This is called project management. And while those of us who simply love writing code find such pursuits annoying, they are nonetheless necessary and worthwhile -- accepting this is part of growing up. And while I applaud the honesty of saying "we won't declare it stable until it is stable," surely you can see your way clear that if you were explaining a similar situation to your boss or to your client, they would almost certainly (and justifyably) want you to give them more details. This is called accountability. >> What more information would be helpful, exactly? Do guesses really >> help? Guesses are nice... estimates are better. What is the difference, you ask? The word guess connotes random selection or selection based upon whimsy. Estimates, on the other hand, are approximations based upon some rational methodology. Suppose you take your car into the shop and after looking at it they inform you that it cannot be driven again until a new part is installed and that part will need to be special ordered. Would you not expect them to give you an estimate of how long that will take? Following your logic, they would be justified in telling you that "it will be here when it gets here." Perhaps you would feel better if they said something like "the computer says they have plenty in stock and it usually takes 1-2 days for shipments to arrive." In the later, the parts manager cannot say with absolute certainty when the part will arrive. But short of that certainty, he has given you the next best thing - his best estimate based upon a methodology (based upon past history and his experience). >> But that money isn't paid *to* MySQL AB, so how is that relevant? Ironically, the fact that I pay no license fees to MySQL AB is based upon the fact that I have no production systems that use it and I will not have production systems that use it until the new functionality coming in 4.1 is available. But the fact that I have not paid any money to MySQL AB does not mean that I am not doing things which ultimately improve their bottom line. Though this is my first posting in a while, there was about a three month period when I monitored this list every day and often contributed my knowledge when I thought it could be helpful. I have talked up MySQL to my colleagues. I have suggested ideas for new features. I certainly do not feel anyone need give me a medal for any of this, but my point is that by being yet another active member of the MySQL community, I (with those like me) help advance the product which will inevitably lead to more sales for MySQL AB. My point that licenses are but a small part of total cost is relevant in the sense that just being free isn't good enough to close the deal. Everytime I read one of the smartass responses, I wonder to myself if they feel they can get away with this attitude simply because they are not charging license fees. Maybe this is wrong, I hope so, but I think that they would be well served by if the took more seriously the concerns of their user community (paying and non-paying) because I believe that it will in the end enhance their success. >> But you fail to tell someone how to know if they're the intended >> recipient, don't you? Um, ok, what planet are your from that you do not recognize a standard (as in, appended automatically by my smtp server) disclaimer when you see one. Just curious, do you also bark at the moon? I'll be sure to pass your criticism on to the lawyers. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Before posting, please check: http://www.mysql.com/manual.php (the manual) http://lists.mysql.com/ (the list archive) To request this thread, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, e-mail <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Trouble unsubscribing? Try: http://lists.mysql.com/php/unsubscribe.php
