>
> Just a long standing curiosity?
>
> For most web sites MySQL seems to work fine, but overall PostgreSQL offers
> more capabilites so why build upon a limited base such as MySQL?
>
> Does anyone here have any idea as to why so many people select MySQL when
> both systems are open sourced?
Three likely effects:
a) ISP management toolsets include management tools for MySQL, and not
PostgreSQL.
(CPanel is an example of such a toolset.)
b) Apparently the permissions model for PostgreSQL used to discourage its use
in shared hosting environments. (Ask Neil Conway more about this.)
c) There was corporate sponsorship of MySQL, and they probably spent money
marketing it in the ISP web hosting market.
d) MySQL is GPL-licensed, and some people consider that very important. (And
are too stupid to grasp that they like XFree86, which _isn't_ licensed under
the GPL... Of course, this is d), and I said "three" likely effects...)
e) Inertia. MySQL got more popular way back when; the reasons may no longer
apply, but nobody is going to move to PostgreSQL without _compelling_ reason,
and you'll have to show something _really compelling_.
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