open source PostgreSQL not supportable? (Was: Challenging SQL Query Problem. Can you solve it?)

Begin <1135378333.38194_at_jetspin.drizzle.com> On 2005-12-23, DA Morgan <damorgan_at_psoug.org> wrote:
> Karen Hill wrote:
>>>>Not unless you use PostgreSQL.
>>>You mean not if they don't want support.
>>
>> I believe there are a couple of companies that do provide support for
>> Postgres. Plus you can ask free of charge on the mailing lists which
>> include the developers.
>
> A couple of developers answering their email if they aren't at mom's
> for Christmas dinner is not 7x24 support but you are welcome to your
> concept.

So sorry to tip you off your high horse, but there appears to be quite a bit of commercial grade support for PostgreSQL. And best of all, if one company isn't satisfactory, there's enough competition to switch to another while not having to switch databases. Since the source is open, they all can develop custom extentions just for my needs and as such that eliminates a single point of faillure, to name one advantage.

  http://www.postgresql.org/support/professional_support

In addition, I --claiming to have a small bit of clue-- think it is an advantage to have fairly open channels to the actual developers. Even if using them requires me to be somewhat civilized in my communication lest they ignore me for being obnoxious or something to that effect. Failing that, there is the above mentioned choice of companies that will take my money and listen to me, regarless of obnoxiousness, merit of the question, hangovers, and christmas dinners.

[snip lots of potshots]
> Certainly my impression looking at the number of jobs at dice.com
> and monster.com wanting that skill set.

I can't say I'm impressed by your argument. I firmly believe in using the right tool for the job, whatever the tool may be. I also believe that my strengths are not compatible with the poor excuse for OS that slows down the majority of desktops in the world at the time of this writing. So my specialism isn't to run the mainstream, but if anything that makes the skillset I do have harder to find and thus worth more. The same with running databases. There is a market for running PostgreSQL, even if it is not very visible.

To elaborate on the last point: These kinds of systems are used most often by shops where the techs are left free to choose their own tools, instead of being forced to use the choice of their salescritter-wooed- managers. As such, they tend to be less specific in their job specifications. So them don't scream big expensive brand names, but the flipside is a happier workforce with at least as much chances of creating well-run shops. And with less of the licensing overhead, per cpu or otherwise. Daring to do this might or might not be suitable for fortune-500 or ``blame the vendor''-policied litigous companies. But there's few of those. There arequite enough of smaller shops where PostgreSQL may be very suitable indeed, noted by an apparent market allowing a fair number of commercial support companies to exist.

What you choose is up to you, but that you clearly and firmly made your choice does not imply your choice necessarily applies to all the world. You failed to recognize that, and with that, you lost the argument.

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