Are the posted questions getting worse?

  • Steve Jones - SSC Editor (7/20/2011)


    Just for you guys, my new least favorite thing

    Kiss me where it smells funny?

  • Isnt this the horse that got injured?

    -Roy

  • Ninja's_RGR'us (7/20/2011)


    Brandie Tarvin (7/20/2011)


    On a semi-technical note, can I just say that I figured out how to do a JOIN to an UNPIVOT without using a derived table in the mix?

    I'm so proud of myself. @=) Of course, I have some dirty data which needs fixed before the result set is good, but I'm still proud of myself.

    So where's the demo?

    Working up this one for a blog post or an article. Or maybe both. As soon as I finish the project I'm really doing it for.

    Brandie Tarvin, MCITP Database AdministratorLiveJournal Blog: http://brandietarvin.livejournal.com/[/url]On LinkedIn!, Google+, and Twitter.Freelance Writer: ShadowrunLatchkeys: Nevermore, Latchkeys: The Bootleg War, and Latchkeys: Roscoes in the Night are now available on Nook and Kindle.

  • SQLRNNR (7/20/2011)


    Stefan Krzywicki (7/20/2011)


    Tom.Thomson (7/19/2011)


    SQLRNNR (7/19/2011)


    When is a table not a table?

    OK, it's a table. It maybe has four legs (one at each corner) and a plane top. Or maybe it's one of the other bits of furniture that have a similar function, or perhaps a rectangular section of an EXCEL spreadsheet, things that outside the database world are commonly called tables.

    But so far as relational databases are concened, it is certainly not a table. Celko stated very clearly why not: "it has no key, no way to ever have a key". Every column explicitly allows NULL, so that's a true statement.

    Yes, MS SQL allows a "table" which could not imaginably be a representation of a relation because every column allows NULL. THat, however, is one of MS SQL's greatest faults. It's quite unusual to discover something like this, on which SQLC members with vastly different views of SQL Server and of Relational Theory like Celko, Steven999, Dave Portas, and myself all agree - there are pretty few things you'll ever get more that two of us to agree on.

    Maybe I'm breaking the rules, talking technical on the thread: but Jason asked a technical question, so I've written a technical answer.

    Is that part about Server names true? I know database names and tables and columns, etc... don't have to be in Latin-1, but I've never named a server, so I don't know that one.

    I think he is just referring to ISO standards. We can name databases, tables, columns etc in various different ways but then they would be non-compliant - according to ISO. Servers don't have to be Latin-1, but I also have never tried naming them using wingdings.

    That's really what I dislike most about Celko's posts, whenever I read them I have to think "is that really true"? Of course, the bright side is that it makes me go out and research, usually discovering that his statements of "fact" are actually just opinion, but at least I learn something that way.

    --------------------------------------
    When you encounter a problem, if the solution isn't readily evident go back to the start and check your assumptions.
    --------------------------------------
    It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.
    What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?
    You ask a glass of water. -- Douglas Adams

  • Brandie Tarvin (7/20/2011)


    On a semi-technical note, can I just say that I figured out how to do a JOIN to an UNPIVOT without using a derived table in the mix?

    I'm so proud of myself. @=) Of course, I have some dirty data which needs fixed before the result set is good, but I'm still proud of myself.

    I'd love to see an article or at least code posted on this, sounds fascinating.

    --------------------------------------
    When you encounter a problem, if the solution isn't readily evident go back to the start and check your assumptions.
    --------------------------------------
    It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.
    What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?
    You ask a glass of water. -- Douglas Adams

  • Stefan Krzywicki (7/20/2011)


    Brandie Tarvin (7/20/2011)


    On a semi-technical note, can I just say that I figured out how to do a JOIN to an UNPIVOT without using a derived table in the mix?

    I'm so proud of myself. @=) Of course, I have some dirty data which needs fixed before the result set is good, but I'm still proud of myself.

    I'd love to see an article or at least code posted on this, sounds fascinating.

    +1.

  • Steve, I hope you at least bought the horse a drink before hand.

    The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. - Stephen Hawking

  • mtillman-921105 (7/20/2011)


    Steve, I hope you at least bought the horse a drink before hand.

    :-D:w00t::hehe:

    :w00t: = face of the horse :exclamationmark:

  • I think that's just Steve's warning to people presenting at PASS to take care of their voices. He's showing what happens when you get a little hoarse.

    --------------------------------------
    When you encounter a problem, if the solution isn't readily evident go back to the start and check your assumptions.
    --------------------------------------
    It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.
    What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?
    You ask a glass of water. -- Douglas Adams

  • Stefan Krzywicki (7/20/2011)


    I think that's just Steve's warning to people presenting at PASS to take care of their voices. He's showing what happens when you get a little hoarse.

    Oi! That hoarse don't look so little to me!

    @=)

    Brandie Tarvin, MCITP Database AdministratorLiveJournal Blog: http://brandietarvin.livejournal.com/[/url]On LinkedIn!, Google+, and Twitter.Freelance Writer: ShadowrunLatchkeys: Nevermore, Latchkeys: The Bootleg War, and Latchkeys: Roscoes in the Night are now available on Nook and Kindle.

  • Self censored. :w00t:

  • GilaMonster (7/20/2011)


    If anything, I'd lean the way PR/KT did for the immersion course. No time given for labs in class, but labs are available that can be done in the student's spare time after the course, if they want.

    PR/KT method is alright. But I don't see the labs as 30 minute experiences. I'm thinking a "try it yourself" 5 minute segment. One of you answers questions at the front of the room, while the other walks the rows checking on people's progress and helping some of the slow ones. After 5 minutes, the one at the front of the room (and who maintains most of the control of the flow) will introduce the next topic, triggering the row-walker to retreat to the front and continue.

    Sure, some will still not get it before moving on. So what. They can ask more about it later or after class. Some will be bored? Nope, not by 5 minutes and during a question period. Either that, or they would be bored anyway. Some won't participate or didn't bring their lappy? No problem, they get the question portion.

    Another benefit? You will really know how well you are teaching. Most people need help in the lab, or 'don't feel like participating' means your presentation or teaching skills need work. If most get it within 1 minute, then you are doing well or even going too slow. Please don't read this as any sort of attack. I am not writing in an attacking way.

    Therefore, I maintain that a few labs in a 7h precon will:

    A) massively benefit the students so that they really feel like they can really do it when they walk out of the class.

    B) it will provide you two with the ultimate audience feedback.

    Jim Murphy
    http://www.sqlwatchmen.com
    @SQLMurph

  • Ninja's_RGR'us (7/20/2011)


    The Dixie Flatline (7/20/2011)


    GilaMonster (7/20/2011)


    Ninja's_RGR'us (7/20/2011)


    GilaMonster (7/20/2011)


    Jeff Moden (7/20/2011)


    I understand that Gail Shaw will be co-presenting with you...

    Yup, Grant and I are doing comed^H^H^H^H^H execution plans as a precon on the Monday.

    What are you going to be covering?

    Execution plans, everything we can fit into 7 hours on execution plans (generating, extracting, reading, etc)

    Who are you planning to execute? Or are you taking nominations?

    1 vote in already in for JC (not talking about Jesus-CX). :hehe:

    How do I vote?? I want to vote for LJE (from earlier post, I guess Gianluca might want to too).

    Tom

  • Quick comments on what I've read in catching up to about 100 posts:

    Congrats to Lynn on the first grandchild.

    Congrats to Jeff for the Exceptional DBA nomination.

    Training:

    There is definitely a training gap, but, I don't think there is enough work at this point to do it full-time. Most of the people I know who are working as consultants offer training as part of their consultancy, but it isn't their main income. If you can make enough as a consulant to offer a week of training every month or two you could probably do okay AND build the brand by offering consistent classes.

    To the best of my knowledge Andy Warren isn't doing training classes at his place anymore, but is still doing mentoring. I think Brian Knight has rolled all his training into PragmaticWorks.

    Jack Corbett
    Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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  • Who's LJE?

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