| I don't like rhetoric either. I think it is good to consider the facts, and for me generally the situation/environment/problem as much as possible. I like to consider the problem, before I recommend a solution generally ( I don't mean to accuse you of pushing a solution, I think you are offering help which is always appreciated ), but I think a lot of people are used to having had the choice already made ( and indeed, in some circumstances it is!). One thing I always try to remember about mysql, as it is is less than intuitive to me, at least that there is no way I am aware of to alter or restrict this behavior directly, is that in mysql the client is allowed to alter the sql-mode ( I do think I have used proxies to filter out this behavior as a sort of guardian, but that was not an ideal fix by any means ), generally if you don't have control of your clients ( or also hopefully some good layers in front ) in the RDBMS world you are already sunk, but this has been more as a guard against accidental breakage for instance. http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/faqs-sql-modes.html This can make it unsuitable for certain situations ( where you may not have control of the client ). One thing that I think is both a strength, and a weakness ( again depending upon the situation ) is that mysql is very flexible and can be deployed in so many different configurations. Generally I think it is best for people to carefully consider their situation and needs ( and be prepared to change when the situation does!). I really enjoy working with Postgresql as well, and have long respected the code produced by that project. In summary, I'd say there are many great databases ( both relational and otherwise!) which can be a real asset to solving problems. The best thing I think is to learn directly and continually :) |