July 16, 2010 at 7:14 am
I think as with a lot of questions related to SQL Server the answer is, it depends. From my perspective it seems that insecurity (not sure if that's the right term) has been both a benefit and, for lack of a better term, a curse.
The Collective Intelligence available out there reminds me that I don't know everything which in turn encourages me to try and learn more about those topics that interest me. It also reminds me that there are a lot of resources out there to bounce ideas off of and get different perspectives.
Where it hurts is that it seems like everyone knows more than you. This makes me very hesitant about posting questions and attempting answers on message boards such as this one (guess that is insecurity).
July 16, 2010 at 7:20 am
After reading posts of other people and reading some of the information on line, I often feel like I'm getting left in the dust. After reading a post, sometimes I'll think "I wish I could come up with something like that". I got in IT because it is constantly changing - maybe that's good and maybe that's bad. I guess I have a hard time disciplining myself to focus on certain areas.
July 16, 2010 at 7:35 am
Fellow IT Collective Wisdom Participants:
I spent 14 years as one of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children (USMC for those who don't recognize the phrase) and used to tell my troops that the smartest guy in the squadron wasn't the one who knew all the answers, but the one who knew where to find the answer I needed. I've found that in the 20 years in IT after my Leadership Training that the phrase is still true in any endeavor or team I'm with.
We live in a world made up of collectives. (Another obscure reference) Collective Societies, Collective Bargaining Agreements, Collective Databases... and search engines that allow us to access collected data from multiple sources at a moment's notice. But knowing which of the data that was returned and where to find the solution is what separates those who "know all the answers" from those who know where to find the answers they need.
I think everyone posting, lurking or reading this site is one step above the local expert that carries all the knowledge between their ears and only shares it for a fee. It is knowing where to go and what data returned to consume and use as knowledge to solve a problem that adds value. And that's what separated the humans from the Borg.... (There's the answer to the earlier reference. Goggle it if you're not Trek literate.)
Semper Fi!
July 16, 2010 at 8:04 am
Bob, I liked what you said and agree wholeheartedly.
I think that being insecure can help (as others have said) push you ahead. However, I know for a fact that dwelling on that insecurity can lead to some pretty harsh health problems. Those that achieve the balance sit in an enviable position of being prepared for all tasks and overwhelmed by none.
Semper Paratus!
July 16, 2010 at 9:02 am
In other jobs that I've held, I was an "accidental DBA" in so much as I was the only person willing to tackle the DB2 database servers. This really motivated me to learn as much as I could about the product. I really thought that I was coming along good until I met a "real DB2 DBA(IBM Contractor no less) " that made me re-assess my skills. He did nearly everything from the command line while I was still using the GUI to drive and I was seriously impressed.
While this did lead to some insecurity - I think it was "productive insecurity" in that it got me off my back side to learn even more about DB2 and SQL Server. I was told by a good DBA one day that the day you stop learning about a particular object is the day you may want to move on to another project...I've held that belief throughout my career in I.T. and it has held so very true.
C.Moody
July 16, 2010 at 9:04 am
I believe this boils down to how much anxiety is created by witnessing experts. A little anxiety's good, but too much is counter-productive. Remember that it just depends on who you're comparing yourself to. Some of these SQL Gurus have been using it since version 6.5. Most of us, I suspect, have not been using the system that long so the demand we put upon ourselves is unrealistic. Also, some people have plenty of free time and funds for training - but not most of us.
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. - Stephen Hawking
July 16, 2010 at 9:54 am
Interesting editorial, and it is definitely an area I struggle with. I've gotten better over that last few years as I've come to understand that it is okay to not know everything and that no one does. The key is to be willing to admit you don't know and then learn it.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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July 16, 2010 at 10:02 am
>Is the feeling of insecurity good or bad for your career?
Good. Always good. The minute you start feeling secure you stop learning, you stop trying as hard, and you take things for granted. Same goes for marriage and any other type of long-term relationships.
July 16, 2010 at 2:21 pm
It is good for your career if it keeps you motivated and on top of your game. It’s bad if it paralyzes you and you spend more time looking over your shoulder instead of at the road ahead.
July 16, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Dave Packard (Hewlett-Packard) once said "When you’re put here on Earth, you only have so many days, (and the good thing about a day spent fishing is that it doesn’t count.)"
The more we become specialists in one area, we sacrifice opportunities in another.
We need to be smart enough to realise and accept this, and to focus on what new skills will give us each the best return on our individual investment in the knowledge we take on board. (Irrespective of whether you measure that return on investment in terms of money, acceptance, self esteem, giving, or just a sense of fulfilment.)
If you can, at the end of the day, say that you have done the best you can, in the area you thought best chosen, you should be very happy, and have no need to feel guilty.
There will always be 'know it alls' ( In Australia we call these "SA's") who seem (or claim) to know a lot about a lot. And there will always be true geniuses who are experts in a certain field. We need to take from these just what we can use to pursue our chosen course, and thank them. We need to skip the rest until another day when we may have a need for it.
And we need to simply ignore the "SA's" of the world.
So, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot... 'Just Do It!')
July 16, 2010 at 3:16 pm
The more I learn the less I know.
Peter Edmunds ex-Geek
July 16, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Insecurity is the driving force that keeps us learning, so I wholeheartedly think it is a good thing.
Also, as the person who wrote the answer on SO you cited, obviously I agree with that too. 🙂
July 17, 2010 at 4:14 am
Interestingly, I find that a lot of my effort is spent not on actually learning things, but more on meta-learning about things - for example, I don't know that much about the detailed nuts and bolts of XML (and frankly, don't WANT to know), but I have a very good idea what is is, how it is used, and enough understanding to 'fake it' and do the script kiddie thing if I need some small feature which uses it.
It's about the knowns, the known unknowns, and the unknown unknowns. If I can keep the unknown unknowns down to a manageable level, I'm happy. The known unknowns don't concern me much, because I can quickly upskill on them if I need to before they become obsolete (like XML won't, but I wish it would).
I think it is really important to understand where all the different technologies fit in the landscape, but even this takes a lot of keeping up with, given the flood of technologies we are presented with (I work with the Web, had we've had ASP.NET 1,2,3.5; MVC; LINQ; Entity Framework; AJAX frameworks; jQuery and competitors - all large and complex collections of code - all emerge in the space of about five years).
I find the real value of forums like this is at that point where the documentation trail ends and hard experience comes into play - the black magic area. As one person said, the only way through this is by trial and error and educated guesswork. This is what separates the real gurus in a given area from the rest of us - and this is exactly what we have both crystallised and on tap in StackOverflow and SSC. Gives me goose bumps just thinking how good that is.
July 17, 2010 at 9:00 am
ben.mcintyre (7/17/2010)
Interestingly, I find that a lot of my effort is spent not on actually learning things, but more on meta-learning about things - for example, I don't know that much about the detailed nuts and bolts of XML (and frankly, don't WANT to know), but I have a very good idea what is is, how it is used, and enough understanding to 'fake it' and do the script kiddie thing if I need some small feature which uses it.It's about the knowns, the known unknowns, and the unknown unknowns. If I can keep the unknown unknowns down to a manageable level, I'm happy. The known unknowns don't concern me much, because I can quickly upskill on them if I need to before they become obsolete (like XML won't, but I wish it would).
That is so true, but taking this posture worries me that one day I will be in one of those interviews where they like to ask nitpicky questions about specific technologies.
July 17, 2010 at 9:35 am
That is so true, but taking this posture worries me that one day I will be in one of those interviews where they like to ask nitpicky questions about specific technologies.
Although you cannot prepare for every "nitpicky" question that might come up in an interview, you can hedge your bets by preparing for the ones that are most likely to come up. I have interviewed people and been interviewed for over 10 years as a DBA and have compiled a document of interview questions that I have seen and used over the years. Email me at talltop@bellsouth.net if you would like me to send you the Word document. 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
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