- Oracle admitted it needed a new approach back in February
- Now, the company has a new community-focused approach to MySQL
- Community roles and steering committee will ensure maximum quality
Oracle's VP of External Standards & Community Engagement, Heather VanCura, has revealed in a blog post the company's "next phase" of MySQL community engagement as it seeks to the open-source database project more transparent and collaborative.
The update comes after community criticism over Oracle's leadership of the project, and the company has finally responded with new governance frameworks.
In February 2026, Community Manager Frederic Descamps admitted the project was letting down community members. Descamps promised a "decisive" and "reinvigorated" approach.
Oracle announces "next phase" of MySQL
VanCura clearly acknowledged the role that community members have played in MySQL over the past three decades, referencing the need for visibility and deeper participation.
Under the new plans, Contributors can participate through code submissions, bug testing, code reviews, technical discussions and more. Experiences Contributors can become Committers, taking on responsibilities like code quality maintenance, and they're set to be guided by Mentors and Project Leads.
"Trust is built through transparent processes, clear decision-making, and meaningful opportunities for participation," 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 users of MySQL."
Percona co-founder Peter Zaitsev praised Oracle for its clear willingness to want to make changes (via The Register): "This is a step and in the right direction... Oracle has shown a desire to show more openness to the community in terms of sharing and including the wider community in the decision-making process."
Looking ahead, VanCura promises to share metrics with the community, engage in more discussions and uphold a high quality of contributions.
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