technocation's blog

It's official! http://code.google.com/soc/mysql/about.html Sheeri Kritzer of Technocation is officially mentoring 2 students for MySQL, AB for the Google Summer of Code.  The Auditing Software Project initially announced here will happen, thanks to a partnership including Google and MySQL.

Technocation is proud to announce its first grant to help further the goals of IT professionals. We have helped Proven Scaling's "Free Ride" to give three people all-expense paid trips to the MySQL conference happening at the end of April. We are proud to have been able to grant Proven Scaling $300 to help, and we hope this is the first of many monetary grants we will give.

Congratulations to the Free Ride winners: Jan Lehnardt, a student from Münster, Germany; J.R. Bullington, from a non-profit in Sterling Heights, Michigan, USA; and Carlos Proal Aguilar, from a non-profit in Puebla, Mexico. For more details on the contest winners, see Proven Scaling's announcement at http://jcole.us/blog/archives/2007/03/31/mysql-conference-expo-free-ride-winners/

Technocation provides educational resources for IT professionals and aspiring IT professionals.  We also provide software that we and others build.  To that end, Technocation is hoping to participate in the 2007 Google Summer of Code with the following projects:  

MySQL Auditing Software Building on the concept of the "poor man's query profiler" at http://forge.mysql.com/snippets/view.php?id=15 , this project entails developing a process to listen to network packets to find MySQL packets destined for a server, and keeping a copy of the packet to use in the auditing of what commands are sent to that MySQL server.  This project can accommodate a light or heavy workload, and one or more students.

  The separate aspects of the software are: Network process:  process to intercept network packets on a separate machine (in the same network range) for full access to information being sent to the database without causing any load on the MySQL server or interference with the queries.  This process should also parse the queries and be able to store them in its own database.

  Graphs and reports:  This module will show statistics and graphs.  This is obviously a very open-ended part of the project, great for students who are worried about time constraints on their summer.  

  Administrative interface:  This will take user input and write to the configuration file that the "network process", described above, will read to determine which queries to keep and which to not worry about.  It will also configure the "graphs and reports" desired by the user.  This may actually be 2 separate interfaces, and therefore can become 2 separate tasks for students.  

There are many folks who want to go to the MySQL Users Conference in Santa Clara, California from April 23 - 27.  However, not everyone can afford to go.  Technocation is committed to helping folks get the education and networking contacts so important to IT professionals.  So, we're opening up our very first campaign!

  Technocation, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization.  Your contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.  You may choose to donate money, goods or services.  Money may be donated through PayPal at http://tinyurl.com/28fa76, and services should be arranged through e-mailing donate@technocation.org . To send payment by mail, see details at .  Technocation's EIN/Tax ID is 20-5445375

NOTE: This page is likely outdated. Updated MySQL 5.0+ software is available at: http://www.dorsalsource.org

This page lists links to MySQL 5.0 binaries. If you have a MySQL binary you would like listed here, please contact info@technocation.org -- if you would like, we will also provide free hosting for the binary if you prefer to minimize your bandwidth.

The official MySQL enterprise binaries are only available via a MySQL contract -- see https://shop.mysql.com/enterprise/ for price, product and service comparisons. All contracts include support.

We believe that MySQL will alternate versions and release numbers (much like the Linux Kernel) odd being community, even being enterprise. Enterprise and Community versions are the same, up to MySQL 5.0.33, the first separate version.

The current technocation wish list for equipment (new or used, must be in good working order): 

• Wireless microphone
• DONATED 6/07! Audio Recording device, capable of at least 3 hours of continuous audio recording.  Can be analog or digital but must be able to be connected to a computer and processed.
• Print graphic design talent
• DONATED 12/06! Laptop with at-least:  built-in microphone, speaker and wireless card; 1G RAM; 1.5 Ghz processing power; built-in DVD/CD-RW drive; Firewire & USB capability/ports.  (optional but preferred, DVI input)  (this is for podcast recording and processing, giving presentations, and processing (not recording) video).
• DONATED 12/06! Video camera -- must have a built-in microphone as well as an external microphone jack (1/4" or minijack OK); must be able to record up to 3 hours at one time without a tape change (if it requires a laptop we will need a separate one capable of recording video, as a presentation laptop may be in use at the same time); can be analog or digital but must be able to be connected to a computer and processed.
• DONATED 11/06! Condenser microphone with 1/4" or stereo output
• DONATED 11/06! Sound mixer board

Monetary contributions can be specified as directed towards the purchase of any of these items.  All donations of money or equipment are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.  To arrange a donation, contact info@technocation.org for details.

Technocation can:

• Provide low-interest educational loans to attend conferences or take training courses
• Provide fee-based consulting services Promote free and open-source technology
• Provide free pre-recorded workshops, lectures and demonstrations
• Assist user groups in finding speakers and resources for meetings

Many companies provide resources for training and education.  However, sometimes those resources are not enough, or certain learning opportunities denied because they are not squarely in a person's job focus.   Sharing knowledge is also expensive.  Writing a book is not a money-making venture, and speaking at different locations is not easy to fund.   Technocation was the answer...

Technocation wants:

1. Volunteers to provide services (see http://tinyurl.com/u8yhg )
2. Leaders to volunteer time to help structure the organization
3. Ideas for technology to research and develop
4. Low-interest loan applicants
5. Companies or individuals with short-term or one-off consulting contracts -- for instance, helping debug a slow application, or reviewing a database schema.
6. Donations -- all donations (products and money) are deductible to the fullest extent of the law.  You can specify which project should receive your donation, distribute it among more than one project, or simply leave it up to Technocation to decide the best use of your donation.  Check out our wish list at http://tinyurl.com/w939b

Donate Now! There are many donation options.  Currently we work through PayPal's secure payment processing. 

Please consider donating monthly; recurring donations mean that we can plan for future projects knowing that we have a certain amount coming in per month. Any and every donation is welcome!

 Donate USD $5 per month $60 total per year 

 Donate USD $10 per month

Technocation and the OurSQL podcast is looking for volunteers to review the latest edition of the MySQL Cookbook by Paul DuBois, http://my.safaribooksonline.com/059652708X.  This version, released Nov. 1 2006, is updated for MySQL 5.0. You can sign up to write a written review on technocation.org (and it will be submitted to the book's websites as well) or to record a review to be featured on the OurSQL podcast.  In return, you will receive credit as a featured writer/voice and get to keep your review copy of the book.  You will share rights to the review with Technocation, so that you can post the article wherever you choose, and Technocation can also post the review to the website or to the OurSQL podcast.

Welcome to Technocation!
This not-for-profit corporation is currently in its infancy, having began on August 1st, 2006.

If you would like to volunteer or donate resources, please use the Feedback Form or e-mail us at info@technocation.org.

For more information, see the FAQs.Thank you!