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MySQL created a bit of an uproar when it seemed ready to close sourcing portions of the MySQL server.  Now, in what's a nod to the power of crowds in more than one way, the decision has been reversed.

 Kaj Arnö

Kaj Arnö, MySQL's Vice President of Community Relations, made some admirably concise promises on his blog.  "MySQL Server is and will always remain fully functional and open source," he began.  Then, "so will the MySQL Connectors, and so will the main storage engines we ship."

Aside from continued criticism of the initial decision, onlookers' reactions to this new development have been overwhelmingly positive.  Sun seems to deserve credit for the change, as its ownership of MySQL allows for a bit of financial flexibility.

The only potential problem comes in where plans for the future are concerned.  Arnö wrote, "[E]xpect Sun/MySQL to continue experimenting with the business model, and with what's offered for the community and what's offered commercial-only.  We won't always know the right answer from the beginning, but we want MySQL to be the most popular database for both paying and non-paying users."

Listening to people's opinions appears to have served them well so far.