August 17, 2009 at 7:36 am
Dave Ballantyne (8/17/2009)
Steve Jones - Editor (8/17/2009)
ta.bu.shi.da.yu (8/17/2009)
though admittedly I've been given some answers that unwittingly gave me triangular joins...Maybe the poster of the solution honestly believed that the triangular was what you needed.
Oh, I'm not criticising them... I didn't mean to give that impression. I'm certain that they meant well - my point was that I missed it, as the code ran fine on a smaller dataset and it would only be until I ran on a bigger dataset that problems would have been noticed 🙂
August 17, 2009 at 8:28 am
GSquared (8/17/2009)
ta.bu.shi.da.yu (8/17/2009)
I'm curious as to what would be seen as a dumb question that is acceptable, and a dumb question that isn't acceptable?Obviously, the question I saw earlier (how do I copy a file?) is pretty obvious, but what are the limits? For instance, I was asking and saying a lot of dumb things about self-joins and outer joins a few days ago in another thread... 🙂
I only ask, cause sometimes it's good to ask the silly questions, or make a silly reply and get corrected. How else does one learn?
In my definition, a dumb question is one that can't be answered accurately as worded. The only time I consider a question questionable beyond that, is when someone asks a basic question, and brags about credentials.
If, for example, you were asking basic questions about joins, and had "MCDBA" after your name in your sig, that would be a WTF question. (Not a dumb question. A WTF question. There's a big difference.) On the other hand, if you were asking about joins, and it's pretty obvious you're new to relational databases, then there's nothing wrong with that at all.
It took me three years to get a good answer to the question, "What does 'relational' mean in reference to databases?" I was a DBA that whole time (have been one for almost 9 years at this point). Was that a dumb question? I don't think so, since I've had no education nor training on the subject, and the online resources I could find at that time said things like, "Having to do with relational databases", and defined relational databases as, "Databases with relations".
Now, I think this thread was started more on the subject of WTF questions than dumb questions. "I dropped my database, and I don't have a backup, how do I get it back?" "I used DBCC CHECKDB REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS and now my data is gone. Why? How do I get it back?" "I have a proc that's slow. Experts tell me how to speed it up, please. Only good answers, please." That kind of thing.
Gus, sorry, I only got through the [Edit]third (can't count)[/Edit] paragraph of your comment before I started laughing so hard I couldn't concentrate. The answer that popped into my head was "having relations with databases"....
Ah, Monday......
I'm gonna go back and read the rest now...
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"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
August 17, 2009 at 8:32 am
ta.bu.shi.da.yu (8/17/2009)
For instance, I was asking and saying a lot of dumb things about self-joins and outer joins a few days ago in another thread... 🙂
Those weren't dumb questions, they were beginner questions. There's a difference.
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 17, 2009 at 8:40 am
Grant Fritchey (8/17/2009)
Jeff Moden (8/15/2009)
GilaMonster (8/15/2009)
Jeff Moden (8/15/2009)
Yeah... I love people's blogs... 😛Ok, now I'm worried....
Heh... please don't be. Your blogs are the epitome of what every DBA and database consultant should strive for and you would definitely fall into the "Interview" category except I don't always cotton to hiring someone smarter than me. 😉
Yeah, stop worrying Gail. I'm worried. I'm the one that put out a blog post recently that was rushed and, subsequently, 100% wrong.
Heh... yeah, but being the responsible person you are, I'll bet you went back and fixed it as soon as you realized the mistake. If I see such a correction in a blog, it's points in their favor because 1) they're humble enough to admit to the mistake and 2) they took time to do something about it. Some of the folks that blog never go back to make corrections even after they get a comment like "Nice move, Exlax." The one word description for that is "arrogant" or mabye "lazy". 😉
Heh... if the eyes reveal the soul, the blog reveals the mind. 😛
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
August 17, 2009 at 8:51 am
Heh... if the eyes reveal the soul, the blog reveals the mind.
I'm nearly blind (can see about 6 inches without glasses), and my blog is empty ... the implications are amusing .... 🙂
- 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
August 17, 2009 at 8:57 am
Jeff Moden (8/17/2009)
Heh... yeah, but being the responsible person you are, I'll bet you went back and fixed it as soon as you realized the mistake.
He went and posted a full new blog post that basically said 'everything I said in the previous post was wrong'
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 17, 2009 at 9:21 am
GSquared (8/17/2009)
Heh... if the eyes reveal the soul, the blog reveals the mind.
I'm nearly blind (can see about 6 inches without glasses), and my blog is empty ... the implications are amusing .... 🙂
Heh... too funny, Gus. 😀 Someone came to me the other day and insisted I clean up my desk. When I asked why, the used the old axiom "A cluttered desk means a cluttered mind". My retort was "Ummmmm... ok... what does an empty desk imply? I'm busy. Please go away {pause, person not moving}... now..." 😛
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
August 17, 2009 at 9:23 am
GilaMonster (8/17/2009)
Jeff Moden (8/17/2009)
Heh... yeah, but being the responsible person you are, I'll bet you went back and fixed it as soon as you realized the mistake.He went and posted a full new blog post that basically said 'everything I said in the previous post was wrong'
Dang! Ya just gotta love someone with that type of integrity. Well done, Grant! 🙂
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
August 17, 2009 at 9:24 am
Thank God that I dont write blogs... At least meaning full blogs. I have only moaned on my blog and no technical stuff... I am clever, keep away from techinical stuff and you are safe..:hehe:
-Roy
August 17, 2009 at 9:36 am
Roy Ernest (8/17/2009)
Thank God that I dont write blogs... At least meaning full blogs. I have only moaned on my blog and no technical stuff... I am clever, keep away from techinical stuff and you are safe..:hehe:
Careful... moaning is meaningful.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
August 17, 2009 at 9:49 am
GilaMonster (8/17/2009)
ta.bu.shi.da.yu (8/17/2009)
For instance, I was asking and saying a lot of dumb things about self-joins and outer joins a few days ago in another thread... 🙂Those weren't dumb questions, they were beginner questions. There's a difference.
Right, Gail. Now "I have a 50MB database and I will be adding 10MB every day, how much space will I need for a year?", that's a dumb question.
[font="Times New Roman"]-- RBarryYoung[/font], [font="Times New Roman"] (302)375-0451[/font] blog: MovingSQL.com, Twitter: @RBarryYoung[font="Arial Black"]
Proactive Performance Solutions, Inc. [/font][font="Verdana"] "Performance is our middle name."[/font]
August 17, 2009 at 9:50 am
jcrawf02 (8/17/2009)
GSquared (8/17/2009)
ta.bu.shi.da.yu (8/17/2009)
I'm curious as to what would be seen as a dumb question that is acceptable, and a dumb question that isn't acceptable?Obviously, the question I saw earlier (how do I copy a file?) is pretty obvious, but what are the limits? For instance, I was asking and saying a lot of dumb things about self-joins and outer joins a few days ago in another thread... 🙂
I only ask, cause sometimes it's good to ask the silly questions, or make a silly reply and get corrected. How else does one learn?
In my definition, a dumb question is one that can't be answered accurately as worded. The only time I consider a question questionable beyond that, is when someone asks a basic question, and brags about credentials.
If, for example, you were asking basic questions about joins, and had "MCDBA" after your name in your sig, that would be a WTF question. (Not a dumb question. A WTF question. There's a big difference.) On the other hand, if you were asking about joins, and it's pretty obvious you're new to relational databases, then there's nothing wrong with that at all.
It took me three years to get a good answer to the question, "What does 'relational' mean in reference to databases?" I was a DBA that whole time (have been one for almost 9 years at this point). Was that a dumb question? I don't think so, since I've had no education nor training on the subject, and the online resources I could find at that time said things like, "Having to do with relational databases", and defined relational databases as, "Databases with relations".
Now, I think this thread was started more on the subject of WTF questions than dumb questions. "I dropped my database, and I don't have a backup, how do I get it back?" "I used DBCC CHECKDB REPAIR_ALLOW_DATA_LOSS and now my data is gone. Why? How do I get it back?" "I have a proc that's slow. Experts tell me how to speed it up, please. Only good answers, please." That kind of thing.
Gus, sorry, I only got through the [Edit]third (can't count)[/Edit] paragraph of your comment before I started laughing so hard I couldn't concentrate. The answer that popped into my head was "having relations with databases"....
Ah, Monday......
I'm gonna go back and read the rest now...
I use that same joke far too often. "Relational databases. You know, as opposed to one-night-stand databases." Which, of course, leads to jokes about the virus risks associated with accessing ONSDBs, or about the fact that you wake up in the morning and the data is all gone, and all you've got left is a fake phone number. And so on.
- 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
August 17, 2009 at 9:54 am
RBarryYoung (8/17/2009)
GilaMonster (8/17/2009)
ta.bu.shi.da.yu (8/17/2009)
For instance, I was asking and saying a lot of dumb things about self-joins and outer joins a few days ago in another thread... 🙂Those weren't dumb questions, they were beginner questions. There's a difference.
Right, Gail. Now "I have a 50MB database and I will be adding 10MB every day, how much space will I need for a year?", [that's a dumb question.
Okay. I'll agree. That's not just dumb, it's shockingly dumb. I remember someone asking something like that very recently and wondering, "You have access to a database server, but not to a calculator, or 'select 50 + 10 * 365'??" Makes you wonder what the f***!
That's why I call them WTF questions, as opposed to dumb. I got the idea, of course, from TheDailyWTF.com.
- 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
August 17, 2009 at 9:55 am
RBarryYoung (8/17/2009)
GilaMonster (8/17/2009)
ta.bu.shi.da.yu (8/17/2009)
For instance, I was asking and saying a lot of dumb things about self-joins and outer joins a few days ago in another thread... 🙂Those weren't dumb questions, they were beginner questions. There's a difference.
Right, Gail. Now "I have a 50MB database and I will be adding 10MB every day, how much space will I need for a year?", that's a dumb question.
Another dumb question would be
"What values should I pass for this (dynamic management) function?". Answer - depends on what you want to get back, check books online for the details.
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 17, 2009 at 10:04 am
Jeff Moden (8/17/2009)
Roy Ernest (8/17/2009)
Thank God that I dont write blogs... At least meaning full blogs. I have only moaned on my blog and no technical stuff... I am clever, keep away from techinical stuff and you are safe..:hehe:Careful... moaning is meaningful.
That will piss of any Network admin... My moaning has always been against Network admins. :hehe:
-Roy
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