August 5, 2016 at 5:52 am
A million things to do at work and they want me off my PC. I've got a new one I've got to configure.
So I'm importing my outlook rules, my IE favorites & settings. My Chrome bookmarks, my Word Normal template. I've customized my SSMS settings on the new box...
Can anyone think of anything else I should consider (things that you all might customize and would want to save if you were getting kicked off your well-worn box)?
Sigh. I've got REAL work to do... and I'm losing my extra drive... With all that wonderful space that of course I like to use...
August 5, 2016 at 5:55 am
jasona.work (8/5/2016)
Why does movie theater popcorn seem to taste so much better than when you're at home and make popcorn (excluding actually putting oil in a pan and tossing in the popcorn kernels, I'm talking bagged microwave popcorn, which means I probably just answered my own question, didn't I?)
In short, salt and butter. The movie theaters use a fine-grained salt, so coverage is more even than with the typical salt we use at home. The big difference is the butter, which is really a butter-flavored oil, that goes very well with the popcorn. It's warm, so that helps, but butter flavor itself amps everything up.
August 5, 2016 at 5:58 am
Hugo Kornelis (8/5/2016)
BLOB_EATER (8/5/2016)
I would like to get into the mind-set of speakers out there. Now, as it stands I have zero-interest in presenting/speaking due to a lack of knowledge.My question is ( for you speakers out there ) when you select a topic to talk about is it something that you know absolutely 100% everything about? Or do you know "enough" to present some material and present it well ? I am just curious...
When I present, I always select topics that I *like* to talk about. There can be various reasons to like to talk about a topic.
Often because it's a topic that I like. (For instance understanding all the details of execution plans, or understanding how indexes are used in seeks and scans, or understanding the internals of a cool new feature).
Sometimes, because it's a topic that I think is important and that I want people to be more aware of. (For instance understanding how to design a properly normalized database, or how to avoid writing crappy code that doesn't perform).
And sometimes it's because proposing a session forces me to learn more about a topic I already know a lot about. I usually (there have been exceptions) do not propose sessions on subjects I do not know "quite well" already; but I also always find that I learn way more about the topic when preparing the session.
In many cases, the reasons overlap. I typically enjoy talking about a topic if I consider the topic important, and vice versa,
For you the reasons will probably be different. But there is one important factor that I am sure holds true for all speakers: passion. If you are passionate about a topic, then you can do a great presentation even if you do not know everything about the topic. And if you do know everything but do not hav any passion for the topic, then you will almost certainly not do a good job of presenting. Only the best professional actors can fake passion that is not really there; we arer not actors so for us it is important to not have to fake anything. If the passion is real, the audience will notice.
very interesting to hear your thoughts. thanks for sharing
August 5, 2016 at 6:09 am
Brandie Tarvin (8/5/2016)
Can anyone think of anything else I should consider (things that you all might customize and would want to save if you were getting kicked off your well-worn box)?
Scripts collection?
Bookmarked internet pages?
August 5, 2016 at 6:13 am
BLOB_EATER (8/5/2016)
when you select a topic to talk about is it something that you know absolutely 100% everything about?
No one knows absolutely 100% about a topic.
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
August 5, 2016 at 6:23 am
Brandie Tarvin (8/5/2016)
A million things to do at work and they want me off my PC. I've got a new one I've got to configure.So I'm importing my outlook rules, my IE favorites & settings. My Chrome bookmarks, my Word Normal template. I've customized my SSMS settings on the new box...
Can anyone think of anything else I should consider (things that you all might customize and would want to save if you were getting kicked off your well-worn box)?
SSMS (and other) code snippets? SQLPrompt ditto?
Thomas Rushton
blog: https://thelonedba.wordpress.com
August 5, 2016 at 6:28 am
ThomasRushton (8/5/2016)
Brandie Tarvin (8/5/2016)
A million things to do at work and they want me off my PC. I've got a new one I've got to configure.So I'm importing my outlook rules, my IE favorites & settings. My Chrome bookmarks, my Word Normal template. I've customized my SSMS settings on the new box...
Can anyone think of anything else I should consider (things that you all might customize and would want to save if you were getting kicked off your well-worn box)?
SSMS (and other) code snippets? SQLPrompt ditto?
Don't forget to deauthorise any licences you may have on the old machine.
The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Martin Rees
You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.
Stan Laurel
August 5, 2016 at 6:30 am
BLOB_EATER (8/5/2016)
I would like to get into the mind-set of speakers out there. Now, as it stands I have zero-interest in presenting/speaking due to a lack of knowledge.My question is ( for you speakers out there ) when you select a topic to talk about is it something that you know absolutely 100% everything about? Or do you know "enough" to present some material and present it well ? I am just curious...
Mostly I go for stuff I'm passionate about.
You don't have to know everything 100%. You should know it reasonably well. Personally, I have no issue with saying "I don't know" while presenting. As long as you're clear about what you're presenting and you appropriately level set going in, people won't ask you 400 level questions during a 100 level session (although there is always some idiot who wants to play "Stump the Chump"). Just be sure you've got what you're presenting right. It kills me to hear wrong information being given. I'm perfectly fine with basic info or introductory stuff (in fact, I prefer giving beginner sessions, I leave the high-end to really smart people like Hugo, Gail, Paul, etc.), just get it right.
Presenting is important and I advocate for everyone doing at least a little of it. Not because you're going to become an MVP or get a job as an evangelist for a software company, but because we have to sell stuff all the time. Learning how to present, how to teach, how to share, how to influence, is good for your career.
"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
August 5, 2016 at 6:33 am
jasona.work (8/5/2016)
A thought I had the other day, reading another of Steve's postings on the SQL Saturday thing. Keep in mind, I've been to one, so if this does happen at others, feel free to point and laugh...What about, when it comes to sessions, having a panel-type session? Bring in several local people to be on the panel, regardless of skill level, and turn them loose to both discuss interesting problems and how they've solved them and take questions from the attendees? Rather similar to what goes on at various other types of conventions (admittedly, I don't think you'd be able to ask a DBA what the best part of working with John Barrowman / Steve Buscemi / Mark Hamil / Margo Robbie was, but...)
By having both seasoned DBAs and newer DBAs, you'd also get a decent discussion with explanations of either why the problem was solved that way, or what a possible better method might be.
Just a random thought...
I see these all the time.
It's a mixed bag though. Sometimes you get great questions from the audience and a wonderful discussion. Other times... yawn... There's a bunch of people sitting on chairs at the front of a room staring at a few people who are shy or just wondered into the wrong room and can't find their way back out. It's weird.
"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
August 5, 2016 at 6:34 am
Brandie Tarvin (8/5/2016)
A million things to do at work and they want me off my PC. I've got a new one I've got to configure.So I'm importing my outlook rules, my IE favorites & settings. My Chrome bookmarks, my Word Normal template. I've customized my SSMS settings on the new box...
Can anyone think of anything else I should consider (things that you all might customize and would want to save if you were getting kicked off your well-worn box)?
Sigh. I've got REAL work to do... and I'm losing my extra drive... With all that wonderful space that of course I like to use...
If you have browser passwords saved you will need at least a list of sites to visit to enter on the new computer.
I always forget programs like zip or cclean. Remember if you have a package that is licensed on old, that you may need to unlicense it before turning it off.
August 5, 2016 at 6:45 am
djj (8/5/2016)
Brandie Tarvin (8/5/2016)
A million things to do at work and they want me off my PC. I've got a new one I've got to configure.So I'm importing my outlook rules, my IE favorites & settings. My Chrome bookmarks, my Word Normal template. I've customized my SSMS settings on the new box...
Can anyone think of anything else I should consider (things that you all might customize and would want to save if you were getting kicked off your well-worn box)?
Sigh. I've got REAL work to do... and I'm losing my extra drive... With all that wonderful space that of course I like to use...
If you have browser passwords saved you will need at least a list of sites to visit to enter on the new computer.
I always forget programs like zip or cclean. Remember if you have a package that is licensed on old, that you may need to unlicense it before turning it off.
The wonderful thing about Chrome is that it automatically transfers bookmarks, saved passwords, settings, plug-ins, etc. You just need to login with your Google account.
You mentioned that you had SSMS settings, so I suppose that includes Registered Servers (I can't memorize the server names in here).
Templates, connections, drivers must be something to check. Once I couldn't get an SSIS package to work because I missed the attunity drivers for Oracle.
August 5, 2016 at 6:48 am
Grant Fritchey (8/5/2016)
BLOB_EATER (8/5/2016)
I would like to get into the mind-set of speakers out there. Now, as it stands I have zero-interest in presenting/speaking due to a lack of knowledge.My question is ( for you speakers out there ) when you select a topic to talk about is it something that you know absolutely 100% everything about? Or do you know "enough" to present some material and present it well ? I am just curious...
Mostly I go for stuff I'm passionate about.
You don't have to know everything 100%. You should know it reasonably well. Personally, I have no issue with saying "I don't know" while presenting. As long as you're clear about what you're presenting and you appropriately level set going in, people won't ask you 400 level questions during a 100 level session (although there is always some idiot who wants to play "Stump the Chump"). Just be sure you've got what you're presenting right. It kills me to hear wrong information being given. I'm perfectly fine with basic info or introductory stuff (in fact, I prefer giving beginner sessions, I leave the high-end to really smart people like Hugo, Gail, Paul, etc.), just get it right.
Presenting is important and I advocate for everyone doing at least a little of it. Not because you're going to become an MVP or get a job as an evangelist for a software company, but because we have to sell stuff all the time. Learning how to present, how to teach, how to share, how to influence, is good for your career.
HA imagine the person trying to play stump the chump with Paul Randal? Oh I can see it now....
I reckon this is like a professional athlete working your way up the ranks, maybe starting in your garage, then a local event, then a national event... then the world! 😛
August 5, 2016 at 6:54 am
BLOB_EATER (8/5/2016)
Grant Fritchey (8/5/2016)
BLOB_EATER (8/5/2016)
I would like to get into the mind-set of speakers out there. Now, as it stands I have zero-interest in presenting/speaking due to a lack of knowledge.My question is ( for you speakers out there ) when you select a topic to talk about is it something that you know absolutely 100% everything about? Or do you know "enough" to present some material and present it well ? I am just curious...
Mostly I go for stuff I'm passionate about.
You don't have to know everything 100%. You should know it reasonably well. Personally, I have no issue with saying "I don't know" while presenting. As long as you're clear about what you're presenting and you appropriately level set going in, people won't ask you 400 level questions during a 100 level session (although there is always some idiot who wants to play "Stump the Chump"). Just be sure you've got what you're presenting right. It kills me to hear wrong information being given. I'm perfectly fine with basic info or introductory stuff (in fact, I prefer giving beginner sessions, I leave the high-end to really smart people like Hugo, Gail, Paul, etc.), just get it right.
Presenting is important and I advocate for everyone doing at least a little of it. Not because you're going to become an MVP or get a job as an evangelist for a software company, but because we have to sell stuff all the time. Learning how to present, how to teach, how to share, how to influence, is good for your career.
HA imagine the person trying to play stump the chump with Paul Randal? Oh I can see it now....
I reckon this is like a professional athlete working your way up the ranks, maybe starting in your garage, then a local event, then a national event... then the world! 😛
Sort of like the story about the individual trying to tell Paul Randal how DBCC CHECKDB worked in SQL Server 2005. There is something wrong when someone argues with the person that wrote the code.
August 5, 2016 at 6:58 am
BLOB_EATER (8/5/2016)
HA imagine the person trying to play stump the chump with Paul Randal? Oh I can see it now....
Actually, Paul is more than happy to admit when he doesn't know something. Sometimes he might say he doesn't know, but he can find out and other times he'll say he doesn't know because the area they're asking about isn't something he deals with.
And if he thinks you're just trying to be smart-arse then he deals with that quite well too.
I quite like it when a presenter admits they can't answer a question, instead of those that just waffle and hope nobody has noticed.
August 5, 2016 at 6:58 am
BLOB_EATER (8/5/2016)
I would like to get into the mind-set of speakers out there. Now, as it stands I have zero-interest in presenting/speaking due to a lack of knowledge.My question is ( for you speakers out there ) when you select a topic to talk about is it something that you know absolutely 100% everything about? Or do you know "enough" to present some material and present it well ? I am just curious...
There are really 2 things that drive what I speak about:
1. What I'm doing at work. If what I'm doing at work is interesting I'll put together a presentation about it. These are usually pretty good presentations because I have good stories about why I've done what I've done and examples of other things I've tried.
2. What I want to learn. Basically as I'm learning about something new, it could be a new feature that I haven't used before or an area of SQL Server I haven't been in before like when I started SSIS, I'll often put together a presentation from my notes. Organizing the information in a way that I think will help someone else understand it better, helps me understand it.
I tell people in my user group all the time that they are doing things at work that other people in the group can learn from, even if you are just a beginner.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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