"Question of the Day" is about:
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As some others have commented, I use it as a quiz and answer based on what I already know without doing any research. Despite that, the main value I get out of the QotD is to learn something new.
I wouldn't call others "cheaters" for looking up the answer first, but I feel like I would be cheating myself if I did.
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Michael Lysons (7/27/2012)
Good, back-to-basics question.😀
Lol!
In all seriousness though, I selected the judge your skills option thinking it meant more than your SQL Server skills, but also you reasoning and logic skills, along with the ability to research a problem you may not be familiar with. Oh well, guess I should have selected the "you think it could be the one" option. 😛
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"don't rush for answer and give time to understand the background of every question"
Thanks for adding pressure to my life. I have enough stress, thanks. I don't need anymore. 😉
The above is purely intended in jest.
The following is partly serious and is simply my opinion:
The QotD has been taken too seriously by some. It's not the end of the world to get an answer wrong; or, to not understand a question or answer. It's not cheating if you refer to documentation before answering. So, to quote the movie Stripes... "Lighten up, Francis!" I can say this because I got my 5 points today. 😎 Ahhh, those wonderful, glorious points...
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lolz - nice fun question and dialogue to round out the weekend - cheers!
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Not sure I agree with the "correct" answer.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
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SQLRNNR (7/27/2012)
Not sure I agree with the "correct" answer.+1
Each of us access the QOD for their own particular reason(s).
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It seemed to me that two of the five options could be eliminated easily (assuming we didn't have someone rather unpleasant setting the question, a natural assumption for me because I'm convinced that most people aren't rather unpleasant and also that people who are are rather unlikely to expend effort on writing a QotD. Besides I would be astounded if Steve let either of those through). The other three each had an element of truth, but none was really satisfactory. One seemed incomplete. Another seemed wrong-headed. The remaining one was clearly factually incorrect - one might assume that everone looking at QotD is an absolutely perfect interpreter of all the documentation he might come across trying to research an answer, but I know that that would be a silly assumption because I look at QotD.
So it boiled down to wondering what the author would prefer people to reply.
First, is the author who thinks QotD is about a learning experience or not? I think most people who would ask about QotD are people who would partcipate constructively in the discussions (rather than just whinge about having misunderstood the question, while of course calling it something else) so that eliminated the first option - it was an incpmplete answer in that it didn't refer to learning, only to measuring skill, so probably the author wasn't someone who would think like that. That left two possibilities - one wrong headed, and the other containing a factually incorrect assertion.
Two different fairly extreme attitudes to the questions have shown up pretty clearly in discussions over the last few years: there are those who think researching the answer in any way is "cheating"; and there are those who think that answers should always be checked before they are submitted. Then there are those (including me) with a position in between those two. The two answers that remained as options represented fairly well the two extremes, and the middle path was not represented at all.
I guessed, based on the idea that "only look it up after you've got it wrong" was a gentle joke against the people who say that not jumping in when completely ignorant is cheating, while "you'll never get it wrong if you look it up" was merely a humorous dig at those who believe that the internet has eminent authority (not at everyone who admits they are sometimes ignorant) - in other words someone who perhaps thinks much the same way as I do about this sort of thing. Luckily for my point-count, that gave me the right answer.
But although I got the points, I think that was not the right answer. That's because I believe that in any real job everyone has to make decisions when they don't have 100% certainty, while this option seems to suggest you should always look it up unless you have that 100% certainty; so if this option were correct the aim of QotD would be for people to learn never to do something they sometimes need to do in real life.
One of the interesting things I've learned frm QotD is that my error rate on things I research isn't much different from my error rate on things I answer without research (hence my statement that the correct option contains a factually incorrect statement); and amongst the things I answer without research, my error rate is higher on things I know inside out (and therefore read carelessly) than on things where I'm spending brainpower trying to make deductions from things I do know, from my knowledge of relational theory and other mathematics and formal computer science, and from my mental model of how MS decided it wanted its database to work.
Questions about things I have no idea about lead me off to BoL. I don't search (google or MSDN search) for an answer to the question - I start out by reading about the feature concerned starting from the beginning. I don't stop when I first see something that suggests an answer, because more detail may tell me that's wrong. Unfortunately, I don't remember all I read (if only I could!).
So I feel the right answer might have been something like:
QotD is there to help you assess your knowledge, and to learn where your knowledge has gaps, to increse your self-confidence in your ability to make deductions from what you do know, and to help you develop an intuition about SQL Server.
If it had to say something like "you'll never get it wrong if you look it up" or "only look it up after you get it wrong" is should have tried to convey this message "if you think you know the answer or can reasonably work it out, try the answer that leads you to; if you don't think you can get an answer without research, read up on the topics involved in the question and then try to answer".
Tom
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L' Eomot Inversé (7/27/2012)
It seemed to me ...OK, tell the truth - you're not really a DBA, you're a lawyer who does database stuff in his spare time, right???
More seriously, very nicely written post. For those who are really paying attention, also a great lesson in deductive reasoning (in my opinion, anyway)
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L' Eomot Inversé (7/27/2012)
It seemed to me ...[/i].
ps: not meant sarcastic, ironicallly or cynically, but as a real compliment. Just in case 🙂
Need an answer? No, you need a question
My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP -
Koen Verbeeck (7/27/2012)
Ha, I selected the "correct" answer so I could easily get some points (5, woohoo :w00t:) and get some recognition on this forum!Although I would debate that the "judging skills" would also be a correct answer, as the QotD format is presented as a quiz.
Personally I figured this particular question all the answers were right as it's an opinion question.
I figured it might be using the QOTD as a poll this time.... guess not.
To me it's judging my skills. I actually credit some of the questions I've read here and gotten wrong and then read the explanation of for helping me get my MCITP.
Sometimes though, it's any of the other answers as well.
--Mark Tassin
MCITP - SQL Server DBA
Proud member of the Anti-RBAR alliance.
For help with Performance click this link[/url]
For tips on how to post your problems[/url] -
Thomas Abraham (7/27/2012)
ibar, thanks for something different. When I read all the answers, and gave some thought as to why you had posted this question, I selected the correct answer. As of this moment, 57% have done so. Bravo.If you didn't get the question correct, or don't like it because it isn't what you expected, why not do what you ought to do when you miss a QotD - reflect. See why you didn't agree with the author's chosen answer. Sometimes you can just set your ego aside and learn what is there to be learned from the QotD.
I agree with the author's answer, I also agree with every other answer that was a possible answer as well.
--Mark Tassin
MCITP - SQL Server DBA
Proud member of the Anti-RBAR alliance.
For help with Performance click this link[/url]
For tips on how to post your problems[/url] -
mtassin (7/27/2012)
Koen Verbeeck (7/27/2012)
Ha, I selected the "correct" answer so I could easily get some points (5, woohoo :w00t:) and get some recognition on this forum!Although I would debate that the "judging skills" would also be a correct answer, as the QotD format is presented as a quiz.
Personally I figured this particular question all the answers were right as it's an opinion question.
I figured it might be using the QOTD as a poll this time.... guess not.
To me it's judging my skills. I actually credit some of the questions I've read here and gotten wrong and then read the explanation of for helping me get my MCITP.
Sometimes though, it's any of the other answers as well.
and while I say this about the MCITP I don't mean just the learning. I used it to judge my skills and determine which areas I needed to study more. Which normally a question has a link to some good reading. So it's both a judgement of my skills and a way to learn more.
--Mark Tassin
MCITP - SQL Server DBA
Proud member of the Anti-RBAR alliance.
For help with Performance click this link[/url]
For tips on how to post your problems[/url] -
Oh my god! i wrong!
Well... was a good lesson ...
enjoy your weekend.. 🙂
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Koen Verbeeck (7/27/2012)
L' Eomot Inversé (7/27/2012)
It seemed to me ...[/i].
ps: not meant sarcastic, ironicallly or cynically, but as a real compliment. Just in case 🙂
Golden Child!
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Hi Ron (bitbucket-25253),
bitbucket-25253 (7/27/2012)
iBar
And as per moderator understanding and the points assigned to this question by SSC clearly means that this really worth it and this is what they also understand from their SSC QOTD discussion experience.
Have you ever read this posting by Steve Jones?
Inside The Question of the Day By Steve Jones, 2008/04/08
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/SQLServerCentral/62764/
Thanks for your comments and sharing article about QoTD.
Here are a few quotes from the article. Part bolded by myself
I often try to pick items that I havne't heard of or learned something new about. My goal is more to get you to think about a particular area of SQL Server or databases and perhaps learn a few things.
So Steve also thinks this is a "Question" and not a "Quiz". So concept is "Do you know this area of SQL Server?" and thats exactly the concept behind my question. A person has been asked a question, the person must answer it Honestly, only if they have the knowledge. Otherwise take this question as an opportunity and try to learn that area. One more thing i explained in my initial comments that this is positive suggestion more specially to "Newbie" that don't rush for the conclusion... Put "Attention to details."
a. I guessed what you thought the correct answer would be and in that regard I guessed correctly. Did I learn anything .. to be blunt not really.
b. As of today I have had accepted and either published or scheduled to be published a total of 72 QODs. Each of which I attempted to aim to allow people to judge their skills, to illustrate those areas in which they would benefit in learning more.
A top valued member of this forum recently told me that we all are volunteer here - and not examiner to judge the skills of others. No one is pushing us to contribute here or on any forum. Our only intention must always be to share our knowledge with a positive attitude and keeping egos aside. May be some one has not learnt anything today but his/her comments can give guidance to someone in future.
Is this question relevant to SQL 2012 or also SQL 2008 R2 and SQL 2005 as well? I couldn't find the related version info on BOL.
Andere this question is valid since SQL 6.5 or may be earlier TO upcoming version of SQL server. Nice joke! Isn't it? 😀
"Bullfighters" needs to show patience and nobility, to keep bulls on the right track and may be to win the game. My sincere apologizes to those who get disturbed with ripples of this stone in the sea and those who could not win these points. However, earning points cannot give satisfaction always but correct knowledge is real wealth.
Many thanks to Ron (bitbucket-25253), Thomas, Toreador, Lynn Pettis and other valued members,
Thanks and Regards.
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