Poll #2
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Last weeks' poll got quite a few responses and some interesting debates. So I'll add another one this week, a little more SQL Server related.
What do you think would be the most interesting and why:
- working on developing SQL Server itself
- working in SQL Server PSS and seeing the issues come in and solving them
- Building a 3rd party product integrating SQL Server
- Writing about SQL Server (books or magazines)
I'll say that these choices would be a fulltime job and the primary support for you.
My choice would be writing about SQL Server :). And that's not a cop out because it's actually my job. I think writing software is hard. Very hard and a pain to support, deal with customers, etc. So really I think both 1 and 3 are not something that I want to make my living doing. I think it's an interesting business and both Andy and myself have debated writing some type of software to sell or give away. But the more I look at the business, the less interested I am in pursuing it.
PSS is an interesting choice and if I were going to take a job at Microsoft, I think that is the one that I'd like. If I could work from home :), or at least Denver. Not terribly interested in moving to Seattle, NC, Dallas, or anywhere else they have a support center. But solving issues, being the detective is something that I've always enjoyed as a production DBA. Fixing someone else's mistkaes is way more interesting than finding and fixing your own.
I will say that I wanted to work at Microsoft proper for a long time when I was younger. In the early and mid 90s it seemed that they were hiring some of the smartest people in the world of technology and it would be something just to be around those people. However getting married changed all that as my wife hates rain and I've come to enjoy the Denver sunshine myself. I think I would learn quite a bit on the SQL Server team, and it would be a very interesting experience.
Maybe I'll apply if they move the development team to beautiful Colorado 🙂
Steve Jones
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Number one all the way. It'd be cool knowing that so many people were using the software you helped create.
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If I had a choice, the obvious choice would be #1. I like developing software, its what I do best, and what I enjoy doing on my own time. The fact that I get paid to do it is a bonus. I don't like dealing much with end users, except in instances where I am the developer and they are the guinea pigs and I get to fix my mistakes. And I guess if you are going to do one of the two (that is develop for Microsoft a multi billion dollar international corperation or some smaller company) the choice is obvious. Even though I dislike Microsoft's business practices, and I am really not a fan of a great deal of their software, and the fact that I enjoy Open Source and would love to start/be a large part of an Open Source company, I think that choice #1 is the most realistic. Though if one of my choices was "5. Working for MySQL, Apache, Mozilla, or Red Hat" that would be my choice, but eh...
ttyl,
Aleksei
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#1
Being around such talented people as you would be working with would be a geat experience. I love creating and being so detailed oriented I think the desire to get it right would overwelm me. With a family though, the requirements of time would be more than I would be willing to give up. I enjoy my work, must work to pay the morgage and eat, but it's not my life.
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#1 most definitely cannot be topped for "coolness"...It would be a "dream come true" for many of us I think!
#2 - I'd rather starve to death than deal with irate foul-mouthed people - which's what most of them are - at least at the beginning of the call!
#3 - definitely takes a backseat to #1
#4 - I would give my eyeteeth (ugh! whereever did that expression come from -
) to be able to write about SQL Server - effective communications is an art and a powerful medium - like Steve I enjoy working from the comforts of home and there're very few things that I'd trade for the privilege of telecommuting - with #4 I'd most certainly be having my cake and eating it too..
**ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI !!!** -
My choice is #3. I'm customer oriented and like the satisfaction of creating tools to make businesses run better. And I like working from home.
My brother-in-law, however, has job #1. He's been on the MS SQL Server team for years now and thoroughly enjoys his job. But as Steve pointed out, Seattle's no picnic. When my sister first moved there from the Washington, DC suburbs, mild depression set in as the lack of sunshine was overwhelming.
The best part for me is I have access to some inside help when I need it most.
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#3 sounds very interesting. I love creating tools like scripts to make my job easier and it would be cool to create some tools that could be sold to other DBAs.
Over the last year I have found out that writing about SQL Server is really rewarding. I'm not sure that I could make a living out of it like Steve does, but I definately want to do even more writing next year.
Aunt Kathi Data Platform MVP
Author of Expert T-SQL Window Functions
Simple-Talk Editor -
#1, of course, #3 being the second choice, both are about the actual creation of the software, however your choices with #3 are limited by somebody who is doing #1
. #2 sounds like a nightmare, while #4 would require skills that I probably don't posess
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Most definately #1, I love creating new software and have tried most of the choices and just don't think anything can compare to creating a product from the ground up.
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disagree - extremely easy to do if you're not in your dream-job...
How many people do you know who jump out of bed every morning singing - "heigh ho, heigh ho - it's off to work I go..." ?!?!
**ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI !!!** -
Wow - nobody wants to work tech support? Ok - I'll take it
I've long tried to decide why I like troubleshooting so much and your quote about fixing other people's mistakes really hit home with me. I'm much better at find other's mistakes rather than finding my own
Thanks for the interesting question....
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#2. working in SQL Server PSS and seeing the issues come in and solving them
I love to get most out of what we have, try all available resources to overcome the hurdles.
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