September 15, 2014 at 7:43 am
Grant Fritchey (9/15/2014)
Sean Lange (9/15/2014)
Ed Wagner (9/14/2014)
Sean Lange (9/13/2014)
Woo Hoo!!! I was able to find a coach to fill in for me today and I was able to attend my first SQL Saturday. The place is almost an hour from my house so I didn't make it in time for Steve's session at 8:30 but was able to meet up with him for a little bit in between sessions. Was good to finally get a chance to meet in person. Lunch was a bbq buffet and there was plenty for seconds. 😀Good job, Sean. Other than the food, did you have fun?
Yeah it was pretty cool. The thing I found a little strange was some of the sessions I attended were marked "advanced" but were really basic. I would have chosen to attend a couple of different choices if I had known the discussion was going to be so shallow. Definitely planning on going again next year and may try to make it to a couple of others that aren't too far away.
Rating sessions is impossible. I usually set my at the 200-300 level and I constantly get complaints that it was too advanced/simple. I usually take that to mean that I got it just right. But simple for you might be advanced for others. It's so hard to get those right. Just assume if Connor Cunningham, Bob Ward or Paul White is speaking, it's advanced. Everyone else is a gamble.
I almost almost put 100 on mine because I almost always do Introduction to [Some Feature] and when I did one on XEvents I got dinged that it was an advanced session.
The thing to keep in mind for SQLSaturday is that, in my experience, the majority of the attendees are true beginners/accidental DBA's, so many speakers plan and rate their content with that in mind, I know I do. At our SQLSaturday in NH back in 2012 I had an attendee come to me and say that the beginner sessions weren't really beginner sessions because you had to have at least some knowledge of the topic going in and he attended because he had almost zero SQL knowledge. I've heard that criticism a few times at SQLSaturdays I've helped plan.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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September 15, 2014 at 7:50 am
Sean Lange (9/15/2014)
BWFC (9/15/2014)
Sean Lange (9/15/2014)
BWFC (9/15/2014)
Sean Lange (9/15/2014)
BWFC (9/15/2014)
Sean Lange (9/15/2014)
Lynn Pettis (9/13/2014)
SQLRNNR (9/13/2014)
Sean Lange (9/13/2014)
Woo Hoo!!! I was able to find a coach to fill in for me today and I was able to attend my first SQL Saturday. The place is almost an hour from my house so I didn't make it in time for Steve's session at 8:30 but was able to meet up with him for a little bit in between sessions. Was good to finally get a chance to meet in person. Lunch was a bbq buffet and there was plenty for seconds. 😀Rub it in. Rub it in.
That is one way to do BBQ. 😉
The only way for me.
I'm waiting for the arrival of my new smoker. It's just a shame my birthday is at the end of September so the first few runs are almost certainly going to be done in the rain.
What kind did you get?
I've currently got a cheapo bullet smoker but it just doesn't get hot enough. I'm awaiting a (cheap) offset smoker. Hopefully it'll have better ventilation and control and it should get up to temperature and stay there.
I know it shouldn't be too hot but my old one barely scraped to 70oC. It actually went out if you took your eye off it for more than a few minutes.
Yeah low and slow is good but that is nowhere near warm enough. You want it around 225- 250F (107 - 121C).
I definitely got what I paid for. The last time I used it I just ran it for a couple of hours to get some flavour in to the meat and then finished it in the oven. Cheating horribly I know but it was either that or starve.
I wouldn't call that cheating. It is just using what you have available. I got a new smoker this summer. It was super cheap and runs on propane and has a tray for wood chips. I can cook as good on that one as I can on any of the full sized smokers I have ever used.
I've just looked at propane smokers and they're really expensive on this side of the pond. You've just reminded me to buy charcoal before the shops stop selling it for the winter though!
How to post a question to get the most help http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537
September 15, 2014 at 8:00 am
Grant Fritchey (9/15/2014)
Sean Lange (9/15/2014)
Ed Wagner (9/14/2014)
Sean Lange (9/13/2014)
Woo Hoo!!! I was able to find a coach to fill in for me today and I was able to attend my first SQL Saturday. The place is almost an hour from my house so I didn't make it in time for Steve's session at 8:30 but was able to meet up with him for a little bit in between sessions. Was good to finally get a chance to meet in person. Lunch was a bbq buffet and there was plenty for seconds. 😀Good job, Sean. Other than the food, did you have fun?
Yeah it was pretty cool. The thing I found a little strange was some of the sessions I attended were marked "advanced" but were really basic. I would have chosen to attend a couple of different choices if I had known the discussion was going to be so shallow. Definitely planning on going again next year and may try to make it to a couple of others that aren't too far away.
Rating sessions is impossible. I usually set my at the 200-300 level and I constantly get complaints that it was too advanced/simple. I usually take that to mean that I got it just right. But simple for you might be advanced for others. It's so hard to get those right. Just assume if Connor Cunningham, Bob Ward or Paul White is speaking, it's advanced. Everyone else is a gamble.
Paul White's talks are great. They're advanced and he makes then sound simple.
--------------------------------------
When you encounter a problem, if the solution isn't readily evident go back to the start and check your assumptions.
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It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.
What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?
You ask a glass of water. -- Douglas Adams
September 15, 2014 at 8:18 am
Anyone remember more of Access than I do?
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/Topic1613613-2799-1.aspx
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
September 15, 2014 at 9:48 am
Sean Lange (9/13/2014)
Woo Hoo!!! I was able to find a coach to fill in for me today and I was able to attend my first SQL Saturday. The place is almost an hour from my house so I didn't make it in time for Steve's session at 8:30 but was able to meet up with him for a little bit in between sessions. Was good to finally get a chance to meet in person. Lunch was a bbq buffet and there was plenty for seconds. 😀
Great to meet you and glad you could attend. Hope it was worth it.
September 15, 2014 at 10:02 am
I suspect that we might be better off asking attendees at the end to rate the session in terms of level.
My view is this:
100 - never used the technology. Gain basic understanding
200 - understand what the goals of the tech are, and might have read about it, but not used. Should learn how to implement more with this tech.
300 - Someone has implemented this tech. Now they are learning tips/tricks/features that might not be commonly used or cause problems.
400 - familiar with tech, advanced dive into the technology to understand the underpinnings, or learning how to deal with edge cases in terms of scale/workload.
500 - Someone that has not had experience with this technology won't understand what I'm talking about.
Note, I don't ever do 400-500 level talks.
September 15, 2014 at 10:20 am
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (9/15/2014)
I suspect that we might be better off asking attendees at the end to rate the session in terms of level.My view is this:
100 - never used the technology. Gain basic understanding
200 - understand what the goals of the tech are, and might have read about it, but not used. Should learn how to implement more with this tech.
300 - Someone has implemented this tech. Now they are learning tips/tricks/features that might not be commonly used or cause problems.
400 - familiar with tech, advanced dive into the technology to understand the underpinnings, or learning how to deal with edge cases in terms of scale/workload.
500 - Someone that has not had experience with this technology won't understand what I'm talking about.
Note, I don't ever do 400-500 level talks.
Great descriptions, those would be very helpful.
400 / 500 levels can easily branch off into way more than a short demo, or be too specific for most.
September 15, 2014 at 10:37 am
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (9/15/2014)
I suspect that we might be better off asking attendees at the end to rate the session in terms of level.My view is this:
100 - never used the technology. Gain basic understanding
200 - understand what the goals of the tech are, and might have read about it, but not used. Should learn how to implement more with this tech.
300 - Someone has implemented this tech. Now they are learning tips/tricks/features that might not be commonly used or cause problems.
400 - familiar with tech, advanced dive into the technology to understand the underpinnings, or learning how to deal with edge cases in terms of scale/workload.
500 - Someone that has not had experience with this technology won't understand what I'm talking about.
Note, I don't ever do 400-500 level talks.
I think this is how i try to rate my talks, but you have to define technology. For my Intro to XEvents session I expect it to be 100 because XEvents is the technology, but attendees sometimes think SQL Server is the technology and not the particular functionality of SQL Server. This session essentially talks about what XEvents are and walks through creating a session using the wizard and then without the wizard. Maybe it is 200, but I don't go into problems you investigate/solve with the technology, I leave that to Jonathan K.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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September 15, 2014 at 12:45 pm
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (9/15/2014)
I suspect that we might be better off asking attendees at the end to rate the session in terms of level.My view is this:
100 - never used the technology. Gain basic understanding
200 - understand what the goals of the tech are, and might have read about it, but not used. Should learn how to implement more with this tech.
300 - Someone has implemented this tech. Now they are learning tips/tricks/features that might not be commonly used or cause problems.
400 - familiar with tech, advanced dive into the technology to understand the underpinnings, or learning how to deal with edge cases in terms of scale/workload.
500 - Someone that has not had experience with this technology won't understand what I'm talking about.
Note, I don't ever do 400-500 level talks.
That's actually a pretty good assessment. The problem is, even if you rate something 200, people come in expecting 200 for them or something and are disappointed that it's too easy. It's hard to set these things.
"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
September 15, 2014 at 12:52 pm
Grant Fritchey (9/15/2014)
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (9/15/2014)
I suspect that we might be better off asking attendees at the end to rate the session in terms of level.My view is this:
100 - never used the technology. Gain basic understanding
200 - understand what the goals of the tech are, and might have read about it, but not used. Should learn how to implement more with this tech.
300 - Someone has implemented this tech. Now they are learning tips/tricks/features that might not be commonly used or cause problems.
400 - familiar with tech, advanced dive into the technology to understand the underpinnings, or learning how to deal with edge cases in terms of scale/workload.
500 - Someone that has not had experience with this technology won't understand what I'm talking about.
Note, I don't ever do 400-500 level talks.
That's actually a pretty good assessment. The problem is, even if you rate something 200, people come in expecting 200 for them or something and are disappointed that it's too easy. It's hard to set these things.
I'd agree with that. And the same problem exists for somebody as experienced as Grant (for instance) walking into a 400 level session. Sometimes, it will just feel too easy for the experienced attendee. Everybody is at different levels but we are trying to assign levels in broad strokes. It's just hard to do.
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
September 15, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Out of line? (Me, I mean) http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/FindPost1613791.aspx
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
September 15, 2014 at 1:03 pm
GilaMonster (9/15/2014)
Out of line? (Me, I mean) http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/FindPost1613791.aspx
Nope. Looks fine to me.
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
September 15, 2014 at 1:09 pm
GilaMonster (9/15/2014)
Out of line? (Me, I mean) http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/FindPost1613791.aspx
I can see teh frustration coming out a bit, but I wouldn't say out of line. I'd be tempted to post this:
"If you don't know what the data file is you shouldn't be worried about IAM, GAM, and SGAM pages. You need to start with what the data file is."
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
Check out these links on how to get faster and more accurate answers:
Forum Etiquette: How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help
Need an Answer? Actually, No ... You Need a Question
September 15, 2014 at 1:12 pm
Jack Corbett (9/15/2014)
GilaMonster (9/15/2014)
Out of line? (Me, I mean) http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/FindPost1613791.aspxI can see teh frustration coming out a bit, but I wouldn't say out of line. I'd be tempted to post this:
"If you don't know what the data file is you shouldn't be worried about IAM, GAM, and SGAM pages. You need to start with what the data file is."
I've been sooo close to making a snide comment like that there or on twitter. Go ahead if you want.
Same guy last week was trying to figure out how columnstore was in-memory (marketing calls it so) and drawing rather odd conclusions
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
September 15, 2014 at 1:27 pm
GilaMonster (9/15/2014)
Jack Corbett (9/15/2014)
GilaMonster (9/15/2014)
Out of line? (Me, I mean) http://www.sqlservercentral.com/Forums/FindPost1613791.aspxI can see teh frustration coming out a bit, but I wouldn't say out of line. I'd be tempted to post this:
"If you don't know what the data file is you shouldn't be worried about IAM, GAM, and SGAM pages. You need to start with what the data file is."
I've been sooo close to making a snide comment like that there or on twitter. Go ahead if you want.
Same guy last week was trying to figure out how columnstore was in-memory (marketing calls it so) and drawing rather odd conclusions
ugggggh
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
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