01.29.08
Posted in Technology, MySQL at 9:35 pm by Stoner
Finally got around to creating a project on Sourceforge: MyHelper. Right now, it’s just some stored procedures and functions for determining data and index sizes for databases using the MyISAM and InnoDB engines. Each one is individually licensed (using the BSD license.) I have 2 more stored procedures to add (return a list of tables with no primary key and a list of tables with the primary key) but I haven’t committed my changes to Subversion yet because I’m still testing them. I’ll be adding more code as I refine the stuff I’ve written over the years (their current state is highly environment-specific so I need to “genericise” them - if that’s a word.)
A word about licensing. I’m opting to license each script/procedure/function individually. This is because the project, as a whole, is made up of individual pieces that may or may not have a dependency on each other and the project is not a “software package” that you install and use. Each script, stored procedure or function may stand on its own and you have the option to use what you want. It’s an ala carte repository of stuff. Use what you want, leave behind what you don’t need. Putting a license on the whole package didn’t make sense given this distribution model so each has its own license.
So, if you develop with MySQL or manage MySQL databases, check ‘em out and let me know what you think.
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01.28.08
Posted in Technology, Linux at 12:45 pm by Stoner
Open Source means freedom. Freedom to change the product to do what you want it to. Freedom to make your version available to others. Freedom to integrate your changes back into the original. This freedom doesn’t come without a price.
That price is proliferation and decay. I’ll give you a prime example, the GNU/Linux operating system. DistroWatch watches over 350 Operating systems (some are BSD and not GNU/Linux - getting exact numbers isn’t important at this time.) Some are geared toward specific uses, such as use as a firewall, use as a forensic analysis toolset, use as a data center server system or use as a desktop system, to name a few. The problems become evident:
- Which do you use? How do you evaluate and compare distributions?
- How is the distribution governed? Is it one or a few people “throwing darts at a dart board” or is there a formal governing body overseeing the project? How stable is the governing body? What are their motivations?
- What happens if support for a distribution falls off? Do you pick up maintenance? Do you switch? Do you do nothing and hope/pray that someone else will swoop in and pick up the maintenance?
- What happens if someone forks the code to implement a feature or fix you need? Do you switch completely to the new branch? Do you back-port the feature to the branch you’re on?
- What happens if a developer (either for the OS or in the company using the OS) dies or leaves for greener pastures? Who is going to take over their position? Will the replacement follow the road-map or take the project in a new direction?
These are not easy questions to answer. For small and mid-sized businesses, they may be forced to stick with the 800 lb gorillas. Going with a smaller or lesser known distribution may be too much of a business risk. If the 800 lb gorillas don’t offer what you need and a less-known distribution does, do you take that risk? These questions aren’t limited to the operating system, they can be asked of any OSS project, like OpenOffice.org, Audacity, Apache, GNU Cash, etc.
Open Source is great at leveling playing fields, offering choice and spurring innovation but all that comes with a price that some may not be able or willing to pay. Choose wisely.
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01.02.08
Posted in Life at 4:13 pm by Stoner
Why do people make a big deal about New Year’s resolutions? The percentage of people who keep their resolutions is absurdly low. You know people won’t keep them. It’s like this, people: if something is that important to you (loosing weight, quit smoking, quit drinking, quit/stop/whatever) then you’ll do it. If you need a once-a-year holiday to get up enough gumption to make a change in your life, then guess what? It isn’t that important to you and you will fail.
Stop fooling yourself. If you want to loose weigh, you will only loose weigh when loosing it becomes important in your life. You’ll quit smoking when stopping becomes important enough to stop.
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