- Oracle admitted it needed a new approach in February
- Now, the company has a new community-focused approach to MySQL
- Community roles and steering committee will ensure the highest quality
Oracle’s vice president of external standards and community engagement, Heather VanCura, revealed in a blog post the company’s “next phase” of engaging the MySQL community as it seeks to make the open source database project more transparent and collaborative.
The update comes after community criticism of Oracle’s leadership of the project, with the company eventually responding with new governance frameworks.
In February 2026, community manager Frederic Descamps admitted that the project was disappointing community members. Descamps promised a “decisive” and “renewed” approach.
Oracle announces the “next phase” of MySQL
VanCura clearly recognized the role that community members have played in MySQL over the past three decades, referencing the need for deeper visibility and participation.
Under the new plans, contributors can participate through code submissions, bug testing, code reviews, technical discussions, and more. Experience contributors can become committed, taking on responsibilities such as maintaining code quality, and will be guided by mentors and project leaders.
“Trust is built through transparent processes, clear decision-making, and meaningful opportunities for engagement,” VanCura added.
Oracle also launched a new vulnerability group and technical steering committee. AWS, Google Cloud and Oracle will have representatives on the committee, but the company also noted the need for “additional perspectives from MySQL users.”
Percona co-founder Peter Zaitsev praised Oracle for its clear willingness to want to make changes (via The Registry): “This is a step in the right direction… Oracle has shown a desire to show greater openness to the community in terms of sharing and including the broader community in the decision-making process.”
Looking ahead, VanCura promises to share metrics with the community, engage in more discussions, and maintain a high quality of contributions.
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