Are the posted questions getting worse?

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Are the posted questions getting worse?

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004340 More actions · Answer 1

john.arnott (4/2/2009)
GSquared (4/2/2009)
This is the kind that gives me hope:
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic688912-149-1.aspx
This is the kind that drives me to The Thread:
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic688302-338-1.aspx
I keep going on the second type because of the first type.
My goodness!!!! Is this (your second link) an example of what happens to common sense and courtesy under the perceived anonymity of the internet? "Don't feel bad if you don't get it." says the poster in response to the very first attempt to help. Who doesn't "get it" here? Does this person behave this way in "real life"? Does he/she not realize that this is still "real life" with real people?
I'm afraid this "multi-column sort" thread has humbled me tremendously. I don't know if I would ever have the patience to keep trying to help someone so defensive about his/her own ability and knowledge that he/she throws out condescending insults so soon, even while acknowledging that they are by saying "I'm not making judgements or trying to insult anyone's intelligence...".
Here's one tip I picked up years ago: If you find yourself about to say "I don't mean to (whatever)", then just shut up because yes, you were about to (whatever).

Spot on, John. After just the first couple of posts from that self appointed, ring knocking, side stepping beach creature and the fact that he's much too good to even define his own problem, I decided to not "feel bad if {I} don't get it". Hope he doesn't feel bad if he doesn't get an answer. 😉 I wish I could convince the others to immediately stop helping at the first sign of such behavior... just whip a high velocity pork chop at the blatherskite, disconnect from the offending thread, and help someone who actually deserves it.

--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)

ChrisM@Work SSC Guru Points: 186127 More actions · Answer 2

Jeff Moden (4/2/2009)
After just the first couple of posts from that self appointed, ring knocking, side stepping beach creature

from the shallow end of the gene pool 😎

RBarryYoung (4/2/2009)
Chris Morris (4/2/2009)
jsanborn (4/2/2009)
Mr. Morris
No such person has responded to this thread.
Heh. Wow, am I embarrassed. :blush:

No need, Barry - somehow in my misspent youth I managed to "satisfy the requirements" for a PhD. GF bullies me to use the title.

Bob Hovious (4/2/2009)
My apologies too, Chris. Although I thought you were a really cool guy.... :blush:

Sorry Bob, I can only meet the requirements for the "guy" bit. Reckon both of you deserve many beers for being nice.

^{“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

Greg Edwards-268690 SSC-Insane Points: 20680 More actions · Answer 3

Bob -

The $90 included a hidden 'tip';-)

I pumped gas and worked at a car wash in high school.

There was a similar scam that where someone would try to have you make change from a large bill.

I remember being in advanced math classes in junior and high school. I think something similar to my 2 were actually trick questions on the National Math examine we took every year.

Amazing how many would get the common sense ones wrong.

So you have 2 haystacks in the field. You add one to the other, how many haystacks do you have?

And electric trains don't blow smoke.

Time for a weekend of poker with the guys up on the north shore.

Hopefully my last brain cell can survive a bit of beer.

Stopping at Fitgers in Duluth for lunch. I'll have a toast your wit.

GE

Greg Edwards-268690 SSC-Insane Points: 20680 More actions · Answer 4

Jeff -

I'm going to start investing in pork futures.

Friends in Iowa tell me the demand has seen a huge spike lately.

This couple be like penny stocks - we could create posts to feed the demand.

My luck though I'd get busted for manipulating the martket.:crying:

Greg E

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 5

Chris Morris (4/3/2009)
No need, Barry - somehow in my misspent youth I managed to "satisfy the requirements" for a PhD. GF bullies me to use the title.

So we need to call you Dr Chris from now on?

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

ChrisM@Work SSC Guru Points: 186127 More actions · Answer 6

GilaMonster (4/3/2009)
Chris Morris (4/3/2009)
No need, Barry - somehow in my misspent youth I managed to "satisfy the requirements" for a PhD. GF bullies me to use the title.
So we need to call you Dr Chris from now on?

Only if I can call you "Poppet", Gail 😉

^{“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

GabyYYZ SSCertifiable Points: 7913 More actions · Answer 7

Okay, have moved from the Son Of Thread to this one. Seems more appropriate somehow.

BTW, Congrats Gail on your new MVP status.

Gaby________________________________________________________________"In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not." - Albert Einstein

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 8

Gaby Abed (4/3/2009)
BTW, Congrats Gail on your new MVP status.

Thanks, but it's not particularly new. I was awarded last year July. (http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/SQLServerCentral/63590/)

Grant's the new kid on the block this month - http://scarydba.wordpress.com/2009/04/01/mvp/

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

GSquared SSC Guru Points: 260824 More actions · Answer 9

Jeff, I have to admit, I have a terrible tendency to give up on something/someone, then have some thought I just can't hold back on the subject, and feel the need to post it.

Like the multi-column sort thing. I think I ended up posting half a dozen versions of various solutions, including speed tests on relatively small numbers of rows.

Even the best solution tanks, at 13-14 seconds for under 4k rows, which is horrible.

On the other hand, I'm reasonably sure the whole thing is just a riddle, not a real business situation. The guy is just sitting there somewhere, feeling superior in some way. Either that, or he and a buddy of his came up with this as a challenge, and he couldn't solve it himself, so his main task at that point becomes proving that nobody else can solve it either.

Either way, it keeps me entertained to work on the problem, ignoring the person. That kind of thing is one of the ways I try to keep sharp, mentally and in my SQL skills.

- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread

"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon

The Dixie Flatline SSC Guru Points: 53354 More actions · Answer 10

Congratulations Grant!!

and Gary....

Okay, have moved from the Son Of Thread to this one. Seems more appropriate somehow.

...... Congratulations on turning away from the Dark Side.

__________________________________________________

Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain. -- Friedrich Schiller
Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down. -- Stephen Stills

Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 11

Bob Hovious (4/3/2009)
Congratulations Grant!!
and Gary....
Okay, have moved from the Son Of Thread to this one. Seems more appropriate somehow.
...... Congratulations on turning away from the Dark Side.

I decided to join the "rats" leaving that ship too. Only I didn't even bother to tell anyone there I was leaving... 😉

Grant Fritchey SSC Guru Points: 398882 More actions · Answer 12

Bob Hovious (4/3/2009)
Congratulations Grant!!
and Gary....
Okay, have moved from the Son Of Thread to this one. Seems more appropriate somehow.
...... Congratulations on turning away from the Dark Side.

Thanks.

I'm actually trying it out now posting some stuff on the MVP newsgroup about something rather silly that MS did with the new Ops Mgr SQL Server Management Pack. Like driving a race car. Exciting until the bleeding and screaming starts.

"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

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004340 More actions · Answer 13

GSquared (4/3/2009)
Jeff, I have to admit, I have a terrible tendency to give up on something/someone, then have some thought I just can't hold back on the subject, and feel the need to post it.
Like the multi-column sort thing. I think I ended up posting half a dozen versions of various solutions, including speed tests on relatively small numbers of rows.
Even the best solution tanks, at 13-14 seconds for under 4k rows, which is horrible.
On the other hand, I'm reasonably sure the whole thing is just a riddle, not a real business situation. The guy is just sitting there somewhere, feeling superior in some way. Either that, or he and a buddy of his came up with this as a challenge, and he couldn't solve it himself, so his main task at that point becomes proving that nobody else can solve it either.
Either way, it keeps me entertained to work on the problem, ignoring the person. That kind of thing is one of the ways I try to keep sharp, mentally and in my SQL skills.

I gotta check my files... seems like I wrote something like that about 4 years ago for a similar request... that one wasn't a troll... poor guy really needed the help. If I find it, I'll post the link here. Please don't share the link with the blatherskite... he doesn't deserve to even know the possibilities.

I know it's real hard to not respond to morons like that... just remember that the only way they respond is with yet another stupid, made up "what if"... it's a vicious circle that draws you away from folks that actually deserve the help.

--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)

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004340 More actions · Answer 14

Greg Edwards (4/3/2009)
Jeff -
I'm going to start investing in pork futures.
Friends in Iowa tell me the demand has seen a huge spike lately.
This couple be like penny stocks - we could create posts to feed the demand.
My luck though I'd get busted for manipulating the martket.:crying:
Greg E

Heh... manipulating pork... reminds me of an old girlfriend. 😀

--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)

The Dixie Flatline SSC Guru Points: 53354 More actions · Answer 15

(groan) :pinch:

__________________________________________________

Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain. -- Friedrich Schiller
Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down. -- Stephen Stills