Over 300 exams were taken at the 2009 MySQL Users Conference. Many more DBAs were certified this year then last and the Developer cert was not as popular.

We had problems with network bandwidth (Thanks to Patrick at O'Reilly for getting us more as soon as he could) and some software glitches with the new software. Some folks asked to take their exam at a location with better bandwidth and their results are still trickling in to the Certification Team.

The new 5.1 DBA exam was offered and the general review is that it is a much more realistic test of a DBA's skills than the older version. There were a few edits that did not make it into the system that cause some confusion but those taking the exam carried on bravely.

Thanks for all who made the journey to the Magnolia room, especially those who made it through the 1,200 teenagers who showed up for the conference after ours!

Time was invented so everything doesn't happen at once -- S. Wright

Next week is the MySQL Users Conference and getting ready to deliver six plus sessions of exams is quite an exercise in logistics. There are six scheduled sessions. We have only so many seats and so much time for the tests so those of you planning to take an exam need to plan accordingly.

You will find us in the Magnolia Room in the Hyatt Hotel, which is not exactly right next to all the action. Look for signs and ask for directions if you need help.

In the place of computers you would find at your local Pearson VUE test center, we are using pencil and paper (I wonder if paper was ever marketed as Papyrus 2.0 or Cuneiform Tablets++). This is one of the reasons the …