MySQL User Group Spotlight: MyNA

Fred & Scott have a chance speak with special guests from MyNA—the Japanese MySQL user association—which is one of the most active MySQL user groups in the world.

 

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Episode Transcript:

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Welcome to Inside MySQL: Sakila Speaks, a podcast dedicated to all things MySQL. We bring you the latest news from the MySQL team, MySQL project updates and insightful interviews with members of the MySQL community. Sit back and enjoy as your hosts. Bring you the latest updates on your favorite open-source database. Let's get started! Hello and welcome to Inside MySQL Sakila Speaks. 

 

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The podcast dedicated to MySQL. I am Lefred and I'm Scott Stroz. Today we are thrilled to have a special guest from MyNA the Japanese MySQL User Association known for their incredible dedication to fostering a thriving MySQL community in Japan. MyNA has been a pillar bringing developers, database administrators, and enthusiasts together to share knowledge, discuss best practices and explore the ever-evolving world of MySQL. 

 

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In this episode, we'll dive into the origins of MyNA, their role in supporting the open-source database ecosystem, and their vision of the future of database technology. Whether you're a seasoned MySQL Pro or just curious about its vibrant global community, this is the episode for you. Today we have Kei Sakai with us, Masahiro Tomita and Yoshiaki Yamazaki and Yusuke Kashima for the translations. 

 

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So can you tell us about the origins of MyNA Like what inspired its creation and how has it grown over the years?  

 

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The origin of the MyNA is starting from the translation of MySQL reference manual, which will only exist in English and Tomita san translated into Japanese. It was October 1997. 

 

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Since after publishing translated version of reference manual got a number of inquiries coming into my private mailbox. 

 

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Then I felt like I should create a mailing list. So, it was in January 1998 Tomita san created a new mailing list. After a while there are, discussions going on. Then year 2000, the major members of a mailing list gather together to have a drink. Then they decided to take a domain name, mysql.gr.jp and also they formed a user group, name it iMySQLPeople Association or instead MyNA 

 

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Could you share some highlights from MyNA activities such as events, meetup or collaboration that came from the that Nippon user group?  

 

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Sakai san join the MySQL User group in 2003. It's already 20 plus years ago. Then the main purpose of the mailing list was exchanging ideas, asking questions, someone else to answer. The user group is focusing on, ease of use and use 

 

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of Japanese languages, as well as promoting product to the market and communication between users in Japan.   

 

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This was for all the user groups and also committee members using Japanese language in MySQL or or reading manuals written in Japanese. That's already pretty much done. And it. Also, everyone in Japan actually knows about MySQL. Well, so we're more focusing on the communication between users on MySQL and preparing the place to people to gather together, to communicate and exchange ideas each other. 

 

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Before Covid, we were occasionally running offsite events like meetups, but Covid prevented to run those events. Then we shifted to online. However, we found the offline event. It is a more, better option. People who can communicate freely and discussing, more. And we prefer offline events. Then we, terminated online ones. But earlier this year, we finally resumed offline meetups. 

 

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And if people gathered together face to face and having drinks, which was a really good event.  

 

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One more highlight of the user group activity is in collaboration with other conference. In Japan that are famous open-source focused event named Open-Source Conference in Japan. They are running all this running over ten cities or even towns in Japan. 

 

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And these events are running more than 20 years and nearly all major or even minor open-source communities and individual user groups are joining this event. MyNA MySQL user group in Japan is always, no exception. Always participating, dissident and communicate. Talking with people from other communities, introducing new stuff or learning from others. And it helps other people to understand the details of MySQL. 

 

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I would like to, to ask you one thing because of all this, to to see if, I'm right or not, but, I don't know, I don't understand Japanese had the chance to meet you guys, already? Several times. But, I see on social media sometimes. Also, MyNA kind of magazine or cover are there are they're publishing a magazine or something like that at all. 

 

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There are number of published publications by MySQL group members, and they're, individually writing blogs or, posting some articles to either print to the magazines or online magazines. 

 

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And there's a one book, which is a really famous book in Japan, written by user group members. And that's also all mentioning about a user group in a book, by the way , the book was published in 2000. And now or most recent version is the fourth edition of the same book, and it was one of the most popular MySQL book in Japan. 

 

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Also, on other online articles, about Mysql Written by the user group members again, and it's already counting over 230 times to articles, on the web. I think it's great that the the group members are so involved and they collaborated to actually write a book that's impressive. So what are some of the most exciting trends or innovations in MySQL that your members are discussing today? 

 

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One of my most favorite update around MySQL, operating recently is LTS. It's a long-term support which brings stability to the product as well as applications we develop.   

 

I agree the LTS is a great thing happening to MySQL. 

 

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My personal favorite feature on MySQL, which have a major update in the MySQL 8 is GIS. With  MySQL 8.0. 

 

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GIS features now supports Geo tech system which makes it GIS more precisely accurate to visualize. So real world. My favorite part of this feature is his brings MySQL database to shows of data in the real world. And that, excites me is and we are I'm talking about this feature item during the event and the community events and so on. 

 

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The one thing I try to request is improving the features, enhance features of MySQL GIS. You guys to catch up was PostGIS which is a popular products in Japan. What can we do here? Probably of the world. So yeah, it's makes sense. And to be honest, I would just, recommend guys to just communicate and with me for example, because we did the same when we started with a GIS, we at Uber moving from Postgres to MySQL and, we implemented, stuff they needed first. 

 

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So they ask us so we, we collaborate with them. So if you be the same, we are open to, feature request. No worries. So if there is something you, you would like to see there, in the GIS, just, let us know, and, we will see what we can do. Because, yeah, the GIS, it's something that we improve a lot. 

 

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And, when people ask stuff, we can do it. So another reason that. So now I would like to ask that, if you're looking ahead, what are the MyNA and, next initiative or project that you have in the pipeline for next year because, as you know, I also, MySQL will, turn 30. 

 

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So will you do something special? And stuff like that? For that celebration?       

 

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We have not to finalize yet about what to do. But we are believing. 

 

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We gotta do something because the next year is the anniversary year of MyNA as well. It's a 25 years, so we really want to have something like a joint celebration anniversary, event with the MySQL team in Japan, as well as MyNA. MyNA seems to be a very popular, very active group. Probably a user group that can be used as a model for other user groups around the world. 

 

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What advice might you give someone interested in joining or starting a similar group in their own region?             

 

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One one thing we are always keeping in our mind is we do whatever we want. But we don't have to push. We do not push us too much. Because to run user group, keeping user group running is the highest priority. But it is nothing easy. So if you force to someone else to do or force yourself to do something, it's not easy to continue to be relaxed. 

 

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And another important thing is generating the place to people gather together. It can be online, can be offline. But once you prepare a place and you you can invite a people. People will come and they will invite other people as well. And the user group is not really. The  place someone to teach someone else. It's more like place to gather together, having a chat, communicating. 

 

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That's a user group, we believe. And what we're saying is we always eat, not again. Be relaxed and don't be stressed. Do what you want. That's or wouldn't be otherwise. But that's how we keep this user group running for more than 20 years. Excellent. Very nice advice because, we know that, the Japanese user group is maybe one of the biggest, or at least the most active, for MySQL. 

 

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So it's a it's very good. Thank you very much. That's a wrap on this episode of Inside MySQL: Sakila Speaks. Thanks for hanging out with us. If you enjoyed listening, please click subscribe to get all the latest episodes. We would also love your reviews and ratings on your podcast app. Be sure to join us for the next episode of inside MySQL Killer Speaks.