Ok, here’s an evil idea for you. Say Oracle wanted to hurt MySQL
financially but still look like a community player.
Simply take the Oracle Linux move and extend it to an Oracle
Managed fork of the MySQL GPL code. Keep the APIs for storage
engines and development and throw developers at improving the
internals in some areas that need it, release more regularly than
the new Community Edition, only under the GPL.
Oracle could sell support for their GPL edition to make some
money, though the department as a whole might operate at a
financial loss. The gain is PR and control of course.
How does it hurt MySQL? Well, one of the big reasons for
Community v. Enterprise MySQL is to provide differentiation to
get GPL compliant users to pay subscription fees. You take away
the pain the Community edition provides, you take away the
incentives of buying the Enterprise edition.
Mmm, so deliciously evil… I think I need to buy …
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