Subject: [R] PL/R is being noticed in the PostgreSQL community From: Douglas Bates Date: 05 Mar 2003 13:48:57 -0600 To: r-help@stat.math.ethz.ch I was reading postings to the pgsql-general discussion list for PostgreSQL and found this interesting reference to PL/R. The latest postgresql packages for Debian GNU/Linux (unstable) have PL/R built in to the PostgreSQL server. Subject: Re: [GENERAL] Why PostgreSQL? From: Paul Ramsey Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 14:51:25 -0800 To: adrapley@rapleyzone.com CC: pgsql-general@postgresql.org Derrick Rapley wrote: > What I want to know is how can one persuade IT managers and decision > makers to go with PostgreSQL, when most probably haven't even heard > of it? Most buy either Oracle, Sybase, or MS SQL Server because > that's all they know Price - Licencing on proprietary databases is something fantasic. It is laughably easy to run up a 6-figure licencing price tag setting up a decent database installation based on proprietary databases. Those 6-figures can be better spent on other aspects of an installation. Transparency - PgSQL is not a black box. In the very worst case, you can track down and kill bugs yourself. Mostly though, the transparency allows you to figure out the advanced capabilities of PgSQL through examination of the workings. Flexibility - A subset of transparency, the open APIs and the fact that the boths sides of API bindings are visible in source code allows easy and interesting extensions to the database. The PL/R statistical extension to PgSQL is one of the most interesting things I've seen in the database world in a while. PL/R only exists because of the transparency and flexibility of the PgSQL framework. However, if you *really* want PgSQL to start looking attractive to managers and PHBs, you'll have to get a big company like IBM or HP or Sun to start promoting it, as IBM has done Linux. Management-level technology decisions are made on the basis of *references*. If management can reference a trusted source who promotes the product, they can feel safe about choosing it. That trusted source might be another manager in the organization, or it might be a big multinational IT company giving a stamp of approval. > My second question is, "Why should I dedicate the time to gain > expertise in PostgreSQL?" Because it can't hurt, and because unlike Oracle it doesn't take that long to learn. By all means, learn Oracle too, this isn't an either/or proposition :) P. -- __ / | Paul Ramsey | Refractions Research | Email: pramsey@refractions.net | Phone: (250) 885-0632 \_ ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 3: if posting/reading through Usenet, please send an appropriate subscribe-nomail command to majordomo@postgresql.org so that your message can get through to the mailing list cleanly -- Douglas Bates bates@stat.wisc.edu Statistics Department 608/262-2598 University of Wisconsin - Madison http://www.stat.wisc.edu/~bates/ ______________________________________________ R-help@stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list https://www.stat.math.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help