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MySQL Founder Monty Quits Sun (Or Not)

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the who-didn't-predict-that dept.

Paul Boutin writes "A reliable source tells Valleywag that MySQL inventor Michael Widenius, better known as Monty, has resigned from Sun. Sun bought Monty's MySQL company in a billion-dollar deal last January. Brian Aker, who forked the Web 2.0-friendly Drizzle SQL database (and former Slashdot engineer!), remains at Sun." Kaj Arnö and Sheeri Cabral share their thoughts.

8 of 148 comments (clear)

  1. Please use this thread to do the following: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    1. Tell us how great your database is, (ie. postgres, mssql server, oracle etc..)

    2. Tell us how shitty mysql is in your eyes.

    3. Tell us how mysql "sold out"

    So everything under this thread can be modded as "redundant"

    Thank You.

    1. Re:Please use this thread to do the following: by DanWS6 · · Score: 5, Funny

      4. For extra credit tie into your rant how terrible you believe PHP is and how xyz is so much better.

  2. Shoot by XanC · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If I'd just made a billion-dollar deal for my company, I'd sure look long and hard at not working anymore.

    1. Re:Shoot by sm62704 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Posting at slashdot, Yoda is.

      --
      mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
    2. Re:Shoot by lgw · · Score: 5, Interesting

      No Crystal ball needed to see that Sun isn't long for this world.

      Sun's market cap is down to $6.4 billion. Sun has over $2B in cash, $3B in receivables, and $1B in inventory and stock in other companies.

      You could make a profit today (if you could buy the company for thet 6.4B, which you can't) by buying Sun, ceasing all sales and business activity beyond existing support contacts, and just gutting the company for the cash, real estate, etc.

      If Sun falls much more, it *will* be profitable to buy and gut the company, as was done very frequently to companies in similar positions in the 80s. For any tech company that *wanted* Sun for some reason, it's nearly free to buy it today.

      Heck, one of Suns few remaining large accounts might find it cheaper to buy Sun than to renew it's support contract!

      I think the only reason why one of the big consulting companies (Accenture etc) hasn't bough Sun just for bragging right is that those are partnerships, and don't have the leverage.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  3. Basic astronomy ! by assemblerex · · Score: 5, Funny

    The sun destroys everything it touches. Eventually it will implode into a black hole and devour what little shareholder value is left.

  4. no golden handcuffs ? by KernelMuncher · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am surprised Sun didn't tie Monty to the company with golden handcuffs (deferred compensation). His departure could have a negative effect on customer loyalty. And it sure does look bad for the founder to be leaving so quickly.

  5. Re:Is it still MySQL? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sun N1 iPlanet Java System ONE database Enterprise Edition (R)