With news of MySQL’s test cases disappearing, it seems that MySQL is becoming more of a closed community than an open one.  This runs counter to the overall trend in technology becoming more open and more inclusive.  The disturbing events unfold in The MariaDB Blog in, “Disappearing Test Cases or Did Another Part of MySQL Just Become Closed Source?

After sharing evidence about the disappearance of test cases, the author goes on to explain how this may be continuous of a trend for MySQL:

MySQL AB was never very good at building a development community around the product. There weren’t many MySQL developers or contributors to the project outside of MySQL AB, and the company didn’t do much to increase their number. But now Oracle has noticed them — and it intentionally kills whatever is left of the MySQL development community. Without test cases MySQL becomes as opaque to external developers as any piece of closed source software, and only those most experienced and familiar with the MySQL code base will be able to continue working with it.

Fortunately for those who belong to the open source community and want to see it grow, there are industry leaders who remain open and inclusive.  LucidWorks is a great example.  Their resources offer tips, tools, and training for both LucidWorks Search and LucidWorks Big Data.  Both solutions are built on the open source strength of Apache Lucene and Solr.  To invest in a community that is devoted to openness and progress, look to LucidWorks.

Emily Rae Aldridge, September 10, 2012

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