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bandit69 t1_j47nqgp wrote

Anyone think this is the only software contract like this?

81

Wizywig t1_j47qj7e wrote

To note, Postgres has a new plugin for full oracle compatibility (github), its not enabling anything new in postgres but it allows PG to be a full drop-in replacement for an oracle database. Or at least mostly.

People need to seriously just move away from oracle asap. It is a predatory company that hasn't really innovated in decades.

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bad_n_bougie69 t1_j47rx28 wrote

Sometimes I wonder how much of this is true incompetence and not hiding slush funds for black ops

5

PEVEI t1_j47sjze wrote

NASA’s budget is pretty puny compared to obvious sinkholes like military and social spending, if you want to hide something it seems easier to work with a couple of trillion, not 30 or so billion.

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PCOverall t1_j47u40v wrote

Who really owns the stars? The answer might surprise you

0

SeaweedSorcerer t1_j482mvz wrote

“Doesn’t use”? Sounds more like “isn’t sure if it uses or not.” If they were sure they didn’t use it then an audit wouldn’t be scary.

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Kill3rT0fu t1_j48s1m7 wrote

NASA doing what any government agency does best. Overspends on the simplest things.

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Ok_Kale_2509 t1_j48uxtj wrote

I wouldn't be surprised if things likebthis are used for slush funds but there are parts of the military where 15 million is a rounding error. So it more likely comes from those places.

Also, why hurt Nasa when we could just sell drugs to minorities for slush funds. You aren't getting creative enough.

1

0pimo t1_j493cln wrote

You realize Oracle makes more than just databases right? Like, I'm pretty certain NASA didn't overspend just for database software.

They were likely using their ERP or manufacturing systems. While the data gets stored in a database, it's the compliance, workflow and other aspects of the software that make it valuable.

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cishet-camel-fucker t1_j49oxv3 wrote

Oracle in particular is pretty bad. We had to create an entirely separate virtualization environment for our servers that have Oracle software on them to comply with their new rules. If you don't do that, they charge you for every single server in the environment whether or not it's running anything from them.

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mrwynd t1_j49oyin wrote

Large and small companies do this to a degree all the time because they don't want to pay for someone to pay attention to licensing.

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nur5e t1_j4a8eqf wrote

Government power is such a waste of our money. The idiots that want the government to take over healthcare just don’t grok how much money will be wasted and how little will actually make it to care.

−6

zenstain t1_j4ai4gl wrote

As a senior software engineer, I cannot understand how Oracle continues to stay in business. Their business practices are beneath contempt and their DBMS is a nightmare to install and maintain.

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FrustratedLogician t1_j4azvel wrote

Okay, and when this stops being maintained or bunch of bugs are found, and your business need support now - what then? People pay for a service because somebody is there to also help them out when SHTF.

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FrustratedLogician t1_j4b0420 wrote

It is behemoth of software - been in business for decades and is less risky than some random startup to rely on. I know that biggest UK supermarkets, retailers use Oracle for their HR etc. I've seen some of that software - it is pretty good and has extensive customisation.

Sometimes boring and old is what you need.

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GilfHouse69 t1_j4b3b67 wrote

Tell me about it. I work for a company that makes software to train people how to use it, and the amount of time we spent just waiting for a client to get stuff setup for us to test is ridiculous. No one actually seems to know how to use Oracle because it's fucking massive and ripe with nuances that no one knows how to maintain.

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PsychologicalRecord t1_j4bblnl wrote

Meanwhile the military has failed 5 audits in 5 years and can't account for billions.

1

Less_Acanthaceae_204 t1_j4c058v wrote

Oracle is like the "money tree" that just keeps on making money, money, money!

1

neuronexmachina t1_j4c2poz wrote

Interesting comment from last month's HackerNews thread about IvorySQL:

>It’s also likely in violation of arcane copyright law. The oracle wire protocol includes a handshake procedure that sends a poem in one of the initial messages. It’s untested legal theory whether copying that poem in a new work (e.g. a new driver or compatability layer) would violate Oracle’s copyright on the poem.

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Triumphxd t1_j4cjp50 wrote

Yeah, they are definitely paying millions for oracle databases. I’m sure they are also paying some things you mentioned but I would be completely unsurprised by db costs being a large portion. Any reason why you think it wouldn’t?

2