

PostgreSQL publishes first real benchmark (as fast or faster than MySQL, almost as fast as Oracle) - nickb
http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/database/soup/archives/postgresql-publishes-first-real-benchmark-17470?ref=

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patrickg-zill
About time Postgres gets some more attention. I actively discourage my clients
from using MySQL in favor of Postgres.

~~~
staunch
I actively encourage my clients not to engage in database dogma. I recommend
MySQL for high-replication and high-connection work and Postgres for reporting
systems and financial data. I always offer to buy them copies of both out of
my own pocket.

I also recommend using more than one language when it makes sense. In my
experience the damage of choosing one technology over all others always seems
to be worse than the overhead incurred in using more than one.

~~~
patrickg-zill
It is not a question of database dogma, more (for me) that clients depend on
my recommendations.

Since it never occurs to them that a database could lose their data, they are
not familiar with all the dangers to your data that are "out there".

Foreign key constraints and subselects that work properly, readers never
waiting for writers, etc. are all things that most clients don't understand
but expect you to.

Do you have clients that hold you responsible for multiple years' worth of
content or other data?

Concerning languages, both MySQL and Postgres try to adhere to the same
language - SQL.

~~~
staunch
You're basically repeating the standard line in every respect about how
Postgres is a "real" database and no one could ever do anything serious with
MySQL. That's dogmatic thinking.

I was speaking of using multiple programming languages, when it makes sense.
You probably also insist on one "serious" programming language above all,
right?

~~~
patrickg-zill
Why does it bother you that I recommend Postgres over MySQL?

All else being equal, for new development, Postgres is the better answer -
that is not dogma, it is based on experience gained over 8 years and not
without a few late nights of fixing something. My clients with an existing
code base run whatever they are currently running.

I don't have an opinion on the use of multiple programming languages, the
purpose of a database is to reliably _store_ data that (usually) some other
programming language uses or produces. It's the reliable storage part that
matters.

If you want a cartoon caricature of me, replace "Unix" and "computer" with
"Postgres" : <http://static.tabo.aureal.com.pe/pub/img/dilbert-unix.png>

~~~
staunch
_"All else being equal, for new development, Postgres is the better
answer..."_

That's very thinly disguised dogma. Whatever the question, Postgres is the
answer.

It doesn't bother me though, I'm used to seeing people choose one camp over
the other. I just wanted to point out that I use both for different things and
it's served me very well. The MySQL vs Postgres discussion itself is
unbelievably boring.

------
bayareaguy
The article would be better if it included links to the MySQL and Oracle
benchmark results.

~~~
bayareaguy
[http://www.spec.org/jAppServer2004/results/jAppServer2004.ht...](http://www.spec.org/jAppServer2004/results/jAppServer2004.html)

