Are the posted questions getting worse?

  • I keep getting logged out of SSC (which I don't find out until I go to reply to a message). When I log back in, I get the following message:

    An error occurred

    There was an unexpected error. If you keep seeing this message, contact the board administrator

    Anyone else seeing this issue or is it just 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.

  • Okay... And now cutting and pasting the quote did weird justification things to my sig...

    Oh, well. On to the thing I was going to post.

    I absolutely hate it when corporate changes standards on us without warning. For instance, we have long NAS share names that include special characters like hypens and underscores. Basically ABC_DEF_Environment kind of thing. But when I requested a new share called XYZ_SRTThing, I'm told not only can I not have the underscore characters in the share name, but that the total length of the share, including the tree name, can't be longer than 15 characters.

    So if that's right, I only get six characters to name my share, plus I have to ensure the share has the application name in it which in several instances is longer than six characters, plus I have to put the environment (Test, QC, Production) after it. Which leaves me with ... no characters for the share name?

    I swear Corporate hates us. People must come up with requirements like this so they don't have to do any work...

    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.

  • Brandie Tarvin - Monday, July 17, 2017 8:00 AM

    Okay... And now cutting and pasting the quote did weird justification things to my sig...

    Oh, well. On to the thing I was going to post.

    I absolutely hate it when corporate changes standards on us without warning. For instance, we have long NAS share names that include special characters like hypens and underscores. Basically ABC_DEF_Environment kind of thing. But when I requested a new share called XYZ_SRTThing, I'm told not only can I not have the underscore characters in the share name, but that the total length of the share, including the tree name, can't be longer than 15 characters.

    So if that's right, I only get six characters to name my share, plus I have to ensure the share has the application name in it which in several instances is longer than six characters, plus I have to put the environment (Test, QC, Production) after it. Which leaves me with ... no characters for the share name?

    I swear Corporate hates us. People must come up with requirements like this so they don't have to do any work...

    So basically the new standard is in conflict with other standards.  Good luck.

  • jasona.work - Monday, July 17, 2017 7:37 AM

    Ed Wagner - Friday, July 14, 2017 7:24 AM

    I first started with desktop applications development.  When I moved to databases full-time, I started in Oracle development and did have a mentor.  She gave me to a developer who taught me a lot.  When I reached his level, she took me back and she went nuts.  She had been a DBA forever (loads of experience) and taught me so much about design and how things work; there was a lot but I loved it.

    As for median salary, I don't know what it is, but since we're in the same metro area, I'm sure you do.  If you know it, would you post it along with the source?

    So, similar to Brandie I took a quick look at salaries in the metro-Detroit area...
    Glasdoor reports ~$72k/yr for a SQL DBA, Payscale.com reports ~$101k/yr for a Senior SQL DBA.

    I think the first one might be because, according to the interviews (DBAs, Developers, and Managers even at the C-Level) I've conducted in the past, people in the Detroit area don't seem to know what "DBA" actually means or what good, different types (system, application, hybrid, etc) DBAs actually do.

    --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 - Monday, July 17, 2017 11:06 AM

    I think the first one might be because, according to the interviews (DBAs, Developers, and Managers even at the C-Level) I've conducted in the past, people in the Detroit area don't seem to know what "DBA" actually means or what good, different types (system, application, hybrid, etc) DBAs actually do.

    Oh, for heaven's sake, Jeff. You don't know what DBA stands for?

    It's "Doing Business As," Silly. Even I know that!

    @=) (Really, every time I tell people locally I'm a DBA, they ask me what I'm doing business as. Which then leads to the conversation that causes their eyes to glaze over...)

    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.

  • Brandie Tarvin - Monday, July 17, 2017 11:15 AM

    Jeff Moden - Monday, July 17, 2017 11:06 AM

    I think the first one might be because, according to the interviews (DBAs, Developers, and Managers even at the C-Level) I've conducted in the past, people in the Detroit area don't seem to know what "DBA" actually means or what good, different types (system, application, hybrid, etc) DBAs actually do.

    Oh, for heaven's sake, Jeff. You don't know what DBA stands for?

    It's "Doing Business As," Silly. Even I know that!

    @=) (Really, every time I tell people locally I'm a DBA, they ask me what I'm doing business as. Which then leads to the conversation that causes their eyes to glaze over...)

    Actually Brandie it stands for "Default Blame Acceptor."  It is always the database at fault until proven otherwise.

  • Somebody needs to learn how to use synonyms (unless they're purposely trying to obfuscate things).  I ran across a scalar-valued function in our client database and wanted to see exactly what it did.  It calls a function with the same name in a second database, which calls a function with the same name in a third database, which declares and sets a parameter to a hard-coded value and calls a SQL CLR function. I'm flabbergasted.

    Drew

    J. Drew Allen
    Business Intelligence Analyst
    Philadelphia, PA

  • Jeff Moden - Monday, July 17, 2017 11:06 AM

    jasona.work - Monday, July 17, 2017 7:37 AM

    Ed Wagner - Friday, July 14, 2017 7:24 AM

    I first started with desktop applications development.  When I moved to databases full-time, I started in Oracle development and did have a mentor.  She gave me to a developer who taught me a lot.  When I reached his level, she took me back and she went nuts.  She had been a DBA forever (loads of experience) and taught me so much about design and how things work; there was a lot but I loved it.

    As for median salary, I don't know what it is, but since we're in the same metro area, I'm sure you do.  If you know it, would you post it along with the source?

    So, similar to Brandie I took a quick look at salaries in the metro-Detroit area...
    Glasdoor reports ~$72k/yr for a SQL DBA, Payscale.com reports ~$101k/yr for a Senior SQL DBA.

    I think the first one might be because, according to the interviews (DBAs, Developers, and Managers even at the C-Level) I've conducted in the past, people in the Detroit area don't seem to know what "DBA" actually means or what good, different types (system, application, hybrid, etc) DBAs actually do.

    I think you might be right.
    A while back, we were looking to get me a backup (yes, it's pretty much just me,) and the majority of the applications that came through were more "development DBA" oriented, when what we were looking for (and really, the job description I think would indicate this,) was / is a "production / system DBA."  The sort that keeps the servers patched and running, the backups tested, and helps the application Devs track down issues.

  • Brandie Tarvin - Monday, July 17, 2017 11:15 AM

    Jeff Moden - Monday, July 17, 2017 11:06 AM

    I think the first one might be because, according to the interviews (DBAs, Developers, and Managers even at the C-Level) I've conducted in the past, people in the Detroit area don't seem to know what "DBA" actually means or what good, different types (system, application, hybrid, etc) DBAs actually do.

    Oh, for heaven's sake, Jeff. You don't know what DBA stands for?

    It's "Doing Business As," Silly. Even I know that!

    @=) (Really, every time I tell people locally I'm a DBA, they ask me what I'm doing business as. Which then leads to the conversation that causes their eyes to glaze over...)

    I love the T-Shirt that says "I'm a DBA... I fix problems you don't know you have using methods you won't understand".  In fact, I like it so well, I bought 2 of them and gave one to a very good friend who is also a DBA.

    --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)

  • drew.allen - Monday, July 17, 2017 12:45 PM

    Somebody needs to learn how to use synonyms (unless they're purposely trying to obfuscate things).  I ran across a scalar-valued function in our client database and wanted to see exactly what it did.  It calls a function with the same name in a second database, which calls a function with the same name in a third database, which declares and sets a parameter to a hard-coded value and calls a SQL CLR function. I'm flabbergasted.

    Drew

    Fire covers a lot of sins.

    "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

  • Lynn Pettis - Monday, July 17, 2017 11:49 AM

    Brandie Tarvin - Monday, July 17, 2017 11:15 AM

    Jeff Moden - Monday, July 17, 2017 11:06 AM

    I think the first one might be because, according to the interviews (DBAs, Developers, and Managers even at the C-Level) I've conducted in the past, people in the Detroit area don't seem to know what "DBA" actually means or what good, different types (system, application, hybrid, etc) DBAs actually do.

    Oh, for heaven's sake, Jeff. You don't know what DBA stands for?

    It's "Doing Business As," Silly. Even I know that!

    @=) (Really, every time I tell people locally I'm a DBA, they ask me what I'm doing business as. Which then leads to the conversation that causes their eyes to glaze over...)

    Actually Brandie it stands for "Default Blame Acceptor."  It is always the database at fault until proven otherwise.

    That's what I always thought it stood for.  After all, everything's our fault until proven otherwise, but there's never any time to establish proof and people don't believe it anyway.

  • Grant Fritchey - Monday, July 17, 2017 7:02 PM

    drew.allen - Monday, July 17, 2017 12:45 PM

    Somebody needs to learn how to use synonyms (unless they're purposely trying to obfuscate things).  I ran across a scalar-valued function in our client database and wanted to see exactly what it did.  It calls a function with the same name in a second database, which calls a function with the same name in a third database, which declares and sets a parameter to a hard-coded value and calls a SQL CLR function. I'm flabbergasted.

    Drew

    Fire covers a lot of sins.

    Yeah, and it looks like they obfuscated it quite a bit, probably as cover.  They probably figured that nobody would have the tenacity to keep tracing it until getting to the end point where something is actually done like Drew did.

  • jasona.work - Monday, July 17, 2017 12:48 PM

    A while back, we were looking to get me a backup (yes, it's pretty much just me,) and the majority of the applications that came through were more "development DBA" oriented, when what we were looking for (and really, the job description I think would indicate this,) was / is a "production / system DBA."  The sort that keeps the servers patched and running, the backups tested, and helps the application Devs track down issues.

    We're running into the same issue. Lots of people with development in their backgrounds, or even Oracle, who don't understand the difference between what they did and the day-to-day operational / production DBA we're looking for. We want someone who understands some basic T-SQL and development, but we need someone to do security, backups, job troubleshooting, etc.

    Had a couple of interesting phone screens with at least one application talking himself out a job because he insisted on making sure we knew how good he is at this one thing at the end of the interview. It was as if nothing else existed for him but this one thing. But the job, it is more than one thing.

    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.

  • Brandie Tarvin - Monday, July 17, 2017 7:55 AM

    I keep getting logged out of SSC (which I don't find out until I go to reply to a message). When I log back in, I get the following message:

    An error occurred

    There was an unexpected error. If you keep seeing this message, contact the board administrator

    Anyone else seeing this issue or is it just me?

    I saw it for the first time yesterday evening when I clicked on a link in my briefcase.  I used search to find the post and got the same thing when I clicked on it.  I tried again just now and the problem remains.

  • Brandie Tarvin - Tuesday, July 18, 2017 6:27 AM

    We're running into the same issue. Lots of people with development in their backgrounds, or even Oracle, who don't understand the difference between what they did and the day-to-day operational / production DBA we're looking for. We want someone who understands some basic T-SQL and development, but we need someone to do security, backups, job troubleshooting, etc.

    Had a couple of interesting phone screens with at least one application talking himself out a job because he insisted on making sure we knew how good he is at this one thing at the end of the interview. It was as if nothing else existed for him but this one thing. But the job, it is more than one thing.

    I feel your pain. It took us a year the last time I was involved in the hiring process. We wanted a mid-level DBA. 100s of phone screens of people with 5-10 years of "experience" who didn't know the most fundamental stuff. It's sad and frustrating.

    "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

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