The wp_usermeta table is a good example of how not to use a tabular #database like #MySQL. Please do not design your #databases this way.
If you or an add-on to your software needs to add more data fields, the correct way to do so is to either ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN or (for add-ons that don't wish to disturb the core application's tables) to CREATE a related TABLE (perhaps in a separate schema, if using a database like #PostgreSQL that supports such a notion).






