Are the posted questions getting worse?

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Are the posted questions getting worse?

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ChrisM@Work SSC Guru Points: 186127 More actions · Answer 1

Richard Gardner-291039 (6/3/2010)
I personally find the following entirely helpful when faced with stupid questions (although I'm possibly guilty of it myself at times)
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=SQL+Server+2005+Delete+Query+Syntax
Stupid Question #345: Why can't I get the hyperlink syntax to work properly 😉

Does this help? 😛

^{“Write the query the simplest way. If through testing it becomes clear that the performance is inadequate, consider alternative query forms.” - Gail Shaw}

For fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden

Richard Gardner-291039 Hall of Fame Points: 3603 More actions · Answer 2

Richard Gardner-291039

Hall of Fame

Points: 3603

June 3, 2010 at 4:51 am

#1175815

Well I'm glad that's sorted out 😉

Grant Fritchey SSC Guru Points: 398890 More actions · Answer 3

CirquedeSQLeil (6/2/2010)
Sounds like a conversation I had recently.
Me: Why are we doing it that way?
other: Because it is being done this way.
Me: Why can't we do it this way?
other: Because we are doing it this way.

I'd like to hear that occasionally. I'm constantly barraged with "We've been doing it this way for 10 years..."

Like doing something stupid for a long time makes it smart.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt

Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

WayneS SSC Guru Points: 95460 More actions · Answer 4

Grant Fritchey (6/3/2010)
I'd like to hear that occasionally. I'm constantly barraged with "We've been doing it this way for 10 years..."
Like doing something stupid for a long time makes it smart.

Or... we've been using cursors for 10 years 'cause there wasn't any other way to do it.

Maybe then, but now?

Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes

If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!

Links:
For better assistance in answering your questions
Performance Problems
Common date/time routines
Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736270 More actions · Answer 5

It's always a balance, right? Sometimes the old ways work well and changing for the sake of change isn't worth it. Sometimes you need to move on.

It's a question of understanding when it's worth changing.

Richard Gardner-291039 Hall of Fame Points: 3603 More actions · Answer 6

True, but it's not until you try and change something you find out which is which....

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 7

Steve Jones - Editor (6/3/2010)
It's always a balance, right? Sometimes the old ways work well and changing for the sake of change isn't worth it. Sometimes you need to move on.
It's a question of understanding when it's worth changing.

Agreed. I don't typically propose change unless the process is really bad, slow or causes problems (and occasionally I will tinker with something that seems slow and see if I can make it go faster - even if it is just a nominal gain).

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events

Grant Fritchey SSC Guru Points: 398890 More actions · Answer 8

Steve Jones - Editor (6/3/2010)
It's always a balance, right? Sometimes the old ways work well and changing for the sake of change isn't worth it. Sometimes you need to move on.
It's a question of understanding when it's worth changing.

Yes but, let's face it, if something was good, useful and smart, the answer to why you should continue doing this good/useful/smart thing would not be "We've been doing it for 10 years." You might be able to suggest reasons why it was good/useful/smart, not simply old.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt

Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 9

Grant Fritchey (6/3/2010)
Steve Jones - Editor (6/3/2010)
It's always a balance, right? Sometimes the old ways work well and changing for the sake of change isn't worth it. Sometimes you need to move on.
It's a question of understanding when it's worth changing.
Yes but, let's face it, if something was good, useful and smart, the answer to why you should continue doing this good/useful/smart thing would not be "We've been doing it for 10 years." You might be able to suggest reasons why it was good/useful/smart, not simply old.

If it was good enough for Grams, then it should be good enough for me - right?

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events

tosscrosby SSCoach Points: 18045 More actions · Answer 10

CirquedeSQLeil (6/3/2010)
If it was good enough for Grams, then it should be good enough for me - right?

Who, Gramps - that sly old dog?? 😉

-- You can't be late until you show up.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736270 More actions · Answer 11

I agree, if you want to defend your decisions, you need reasons. I'll say I've defended a practice multiple times to new people, and eventually started telling people that "we do it because" and telling them to watch for a bit, learn what we've done, and then offer suggestions.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004363 More actions · Answer 12

Steve Jones - Editor (6/1/2010)
There are quite a few people here with Oracle skills, including Jeff. I'm not sure Jeff wants to help with Oracle, but worth a try.

I help people a lot with Oracle... I suggest they migrate to SQL Server. 😀

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Dugi SSCoach Points: 17998 More actions · Answer 13

Jeff Moden (6/3/2010)
Steve Jones - Editor (6/1/2010)
There are quite a few people here with Oracle skills, including Jeff. I'm not sure Jeff wants to help with Oracle, but worth a try.
I help people a lot with Oracle... I suggest they migrate to SQL Server. 😀

WooW what a big help - :hehe::cool::w00t:;-):-D

============================================================
SELECT YOUR PROBLEM FROM SSC.com WHERE PROBLEM DESCRIPTION =
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/[/url]

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736270 More actions · Answer 14

Jeff Moden (6/3/2010)
Steve Jones - Editor (6/1/2010)
There are quite a few people here with Oracle skills, including Jeff. I'm not sure Jeff wants to help with Oracle, but worth a try.
I help people a lot with Oracle... I suggest they migrate to SQL Server. 😀

I expect no other help from you, Jeff. :hehe:

WayneS SSC Guru Points: 95460 More actions · Answer 15

Jeff Moden (6/3/2010)
Steve Jones - Editor (6/1/2010)
There are quite a few people here with Oracle skills, including Jeff. I'm not sure Jeff wants to help with Oracle, but worth a try.
I help people a lot with Oracle... I suggest they migrate to SQL Server. 😀

Seems like good advice to me. And for this, they pay you $250/hr?

Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes

If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!

Links:
For better assistance in answering your questions
Performance Problems
Common date/time routines
Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2