MySQL conference kicks off; too early for Oracle buzz

I wonder if the keynote speeches scheduled to be delivered tomorrow at the MySQL Conference and Expo in Silicon Valley are being re-written today. After all, the news of Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems left a few people in today's tutorial sessions wondering - but not speculating - what might become of MySQL.

Today's sessions are mostly tutorials - the conference really kicks into gear tomorrow. But those in attendance had few words to say about the news, largely because they don't have any details and were just hearing about it. Some expressed optimism that Oracle might continue to support MySQL but others weren't so sure. In a post this morning, Larry Dignan put it out there in no uncertain terms. He wrote:

Oracle gets to kill MySQL. There’s no way Ellison will let that open source database mess with the margins of his database. MySQL at best will wither from neglect. In any case, MySQL is MyToast.

The news isn't having an obvious impact on the conference - at least in the pre-kick off hours. From the people working in sessions to those tapping away on laptops and blackberries in the hall, it seems to be business as usual.

As the conference kicks into full swing, it's sure to be an after-hours topic of conversation in the hotel bar.