May 17, 2010 at 10:23 am
djackson 22568 (5/17/2010)
This issue is not limited to database advice, programming advice, or even computers in general. I volunteer on a soccer board, handling registration. We receive complaints about how poorly registration is handled all the time. This year we offered 50 days of registration at one park district site, 60 days at another, and 3 days of our own. Not 10 minutes after getting home from the last day of registration, I received an email complaining that "we only offered one day", another "I refuse to pay the late fee", and the best one "you need to have a board member at the park district to answer questions!".So let me see, our board members should quit their job so they can hang out at the park district to answer your questions, all of which are answered on our web site. We also provide every board member's phone number on the site, and an email address. Yet it is our fault you couldn't find the time in two months to sign up little Johnny or Suzie to play soccer.
It seems that our country is quickly moving to a situation where everyone feels they are entitled to what they want when they want it, and pity those of us who actually are self sufficient.
The same people will later by complaining to the coaches that their precious is not getting enough playing time and screaming at the coaches, players, officials, and their own kids about anything they don't like.
May 17, 2010 at 10:56 am
I think you communcated your points rather well. Nothing to apologize for.
Dave
May 17, 2010 at 2:13 pm
James Stover (5/13/2010)
I stopped being helpful online about 5 years ago. I'm not interested in helping some stranger in the far reaches of <insert developing nation here> to take my hard-earned knowledge for free and then potentially use it to undercut me in my local market. Not to mention that frequently the help was completely unappreciated. My skills are my business and I use them to earn a living. It's not smart business to give away your knowledge for free even if it is to help the community. I share and mentor through my professional network.I also don't give away knowledge in job interviews. If the questions are overly specific or complex, I decline to answer and state my reasons. If I don't know the answer I say so. Hire me if you want the answer and fire me if it's no good.
...while I perfectly understand the reasoning behind your response, I believe that all of us involved in a community give back one way or another, and judging from responses you have provided previously on this site, you are doing it. Of course, there's a big difference in providing useful responses to someone asking for help than providing answers to someone that doesn't want to invest their own time.
You might have a good read at Brent Ozar's blog[/url] about being involved.
@Grant: great article. I have learned a lot by just reading others responses and added my 2 cents where I was able to.
May 17, 2010 at 2:33 pm
FWIW, the Blog article by Brent is a really good read!
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
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May 17, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Richard M. (5/17/2010)
James Stover (5/13/2010)
I stopped being helpful online about 5 years ago. I'm not interested in helping some stranger in the far reaches of <insert developing nation here> to take my hard-earned knowledge for free and then potentially use it to undercut me in my local market. Not to mention that frequently the help was completely unappreciated. My skills are my business and I use them to earn a living. It's not smart business to give away your knowledge for free even if it is to help the community. I share and mentor through my professional network.I also don't give away knowledge in job interviews. If the questions are overly specific or complex, I decline to answer and state my reasons. If I don't know the answer I say so. Hire me if you want the answer and fire me if it's no good.
...while I perfectly understand the reasoning behind your response, I believe that all of us involved in a community give back one way or another, and judging from responses you have provided previously on this site, you are doing it. Of course, there's a big difference in providing useful responses to someone asking for help than providing answers to someone that doesn't want to invest their own time.
You might have a good read at Brent Ozar's blog[/url] about being involved.
@Grant: great article. I have learned a lot by just reading others responses and added my 2 cents where I was able to.
Thank you. I've enjoyed and learned from the interchange as well.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
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May 17, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Yes, thank you Grant for the though-provoking article. I understand why people want to help - it's human nature. However, one might argue that it's also human nature to be greedy and lazy. I will help a friend or an associate if they ask. But I tend to shy away from requests by strangers because you just don't know what you will get yourself into. To close, here is a little personal story:
I was in Chicago about 10 years ago for training. At the end of the first day I decided to walk around town to check it out (great city BTW). As with any big city there is the "right side" and "wrong side" of the street. Naively, I didn't follow the locals and decided on a shortcut. That led me straight into the path of a fairly scary looking street person (i.e. homeless dude). Of course, he hits me up for money. Rather than flashing a wad of cash, I decided the best course was to ask what he wanted the money for. "Something to eat", he says. I say, "Well, I'm going to McDonald's so I will buy you something. What would you like?". He asked for a cheeseburger and so I thought "sure, it's only $5." So, while he waits outside I go inside and order a 1/4-pounder with cheese meal. While I'm waiting, I notice that word has gotten out and 5 of his buddies show up outside all wanting their cheeseburger meal. When I take his dinner out to him, he asks me to buy dinner for all his pals. When I decline (partly because I didn't have enough money, partly because I didn't want to) I was met with utter disbelief and - get this - open hostility. Like I OWED them all dinner! Fortunately, they didn't follow me back into the store because the manager saw what was happening and told them he was calling the police. They scurried away and I happily took the "good side" of the street back to the hotel.
How I feel about that experience is exactly how I feel about giving away advice/consulting to people in forums (i.e. strangers). Figure it out yourself the hard way or pay someone who knows what they are doing. In a way, that IS helping them because they will certainly remember it for next time. Then they can go out and use that knowledge to charge some other person who doesn't know what they are going. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
James Stover, McDBA
May 17, 2010 at 6:46 pm
James... What kind of car do you own or lease?
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
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