May 9, 2008 at 6:46 am
I whole heartedly agree with Jack. I think I'm a decent writer, or have been told so, my biggest problem is finding a topic to write about. Whenever I think I might have something to write about, I research the topic and find it's already been very well covered by others and I don't really have anything new to add.
-Luke.
May 9, 2008 at 6:50 am
I don't write because I don't have any business writing (yet). I'm still absorbing all that knowledge that you folks have sweat blood to gain, and consequently I am reaping the benefit. Sooner or later, though, I will come across something that seems article-worthy. And probably be proven wrong. 😉
I have to agree with Steve and previous posters about forums like this being the best resource for real-world problems. It's all well and good to read a book that tells you how to do what the author wants in Northwind, but applying it to real life is much more interesting and challenging.
More knowledge never hurt anybody. (except for that guy who died when the library stack fell on him . . .poor bastard)
Keep on writing!
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How best to post your question[/url]
How to post performance problems[/url]
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]
"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."
May 9, 2008 at 6:50 am
I don't write that often. I prefer speaking. You get that instantaneous feedback ... questions in the middle of the training, the a-ha of the person figuring it out, or the rare giggle as you try to make something sound funny. You also get the eyes-glazed-over look when you are getting too technical. You can change your training accordingly to fit your audience. I really like that short feedback loop.
Once you write something, it is just out there, forever. Maybe I have a commitment issue.:D
Mia
Mia
I have come to the conclusion that the top man has one principle responsibility: to provide an atmosphere in which creative mavericks can do useful work.
-- David M. Ogilvy
May 9, 2008 at 6:58 am
I love to write. As many others have already commented, writing is one of the most, if not the most, cathartic activity once can partake in to enhance clarity of thought, explore new ideas, and open up a conduit between one's inner world and the outside world.
I write at least weekly on my blog, which includes technical topics, social commentary, how-tos, and IT-related debates. For instance:
Is IT Sexy Enough for Dinner Conversation? parts 1, 2 and 3.[/url]
At work, I write copious amounts of documentation. I find that the only way to really communicate ideas is through pictures (high level) and words (detail level). Only one or the other often results in incomplete communication and time spent backtracking/reverse engineering. I find it also helps speed up my work as a data architect/ETL developer because I can check back as to why I made a particular decision and how I should proceed. Fortunately, I'm also able to do keep this much documentation while being a very efficient developer. Anethema as this may sound, I found that keeping documentation is more a matter of will and not as much a matter of "time." I used to loath writing documentation until I discovered how immediate and palpable its benefits were. (And your boss will LOVE it!)
I would submit that if you were to choose two, and only two, pastimes to take up each day for the rest of your life, one should be any kind of writing (poetry, novels, music composition, screen plays, etc) and exercise. Both are actually quite similar in many ways--and produce results that nothing else really can... :hehe:
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May 9, 2008 at 7:08 am
I would like to write, but any time after work that I have available is dedicated to my kids and family. Maybe when they get a little older and I am a little wiser. 😀
May 9, 2008 at 7:11 am
I don't write articles for here (or anywhere). I do however try to document fixes in the forum to problems I have asked for help with. Figure that way anyone searching for the same problem later might get a quicker solution.
Also time is an issue. By the time I get home at night, SQL is generally the last thing on my mind. These days it is mostly Age of Conan on my mind =) Got to get sleep one of these days too!
May 9, 2008 at 7:16 am
I've thought about writing and even saved information I was working on for topics that I thought would be interesting. Why haven't I actually submitted an article? Insecurity. I've been a SQL Server DBA for 8 years, supported, installed or otherwise managed, NT4 SQL 7 clusters, w2000 SQL 2000 clusters, replication across a worldwide topology, replication as business continuance, boot from SAN technology with SAN mirroring supporting off-site standby servers, dealt with change management issues, and have supported both large-scale SQL implementations (> 120 production servers in one environment) and medium scale environments at different companies. But, yes, I still feel insecure that I don't know everything.
The more I know, the more I don't know.
May 9, 2008 at 7:24 am
I have come to rely on the great information provided here to be able to do my job. As a result, I feel compelled to give back and write replies in the forums where I have personal knowledge of the desired solution.
May 9, 2008 at 7:24 am
Jane Matheson (5/9/2008)
I've thought about writing and even saved information I was working on for topics that I thought would be interesting. Why haven't I actually submitted an article? Insecurity. I've been a SQL Server DBA for 8 years, supported, installed or otherwise managed, NT4 SQL 7 clusters, w2000 SQL 2000 clusters, replication across a worldwide topology, replication as business continuance, boot from SAN technology with SAN mirroring supporting off-site standby servers, dealt with change management issues, and have supported both large-scale SQL implementations (> 120 production servers in one environment) and medium scale environments at different companies. But, yes, I still feel insecure that I don't know everything.The more I know, the more I don't know.
So I have to ask two questions:
1) Is knowing everything possible, especially in an ever-changing industry like ours?
2) Does writing useful content require the knowing of everything?
I think one of the most amazing things about the Internet is that the fact that it allows anyone, anywhere, to write anything, may increase the amount of useless information out there, it also greatly increases the amount of useful information available to everyone.... like that in this forum!
😀
@jane: Sending you a hurrah of encouragement to share what you do know... "We can do it, you can help" =)
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May 9, 2008 at 7:31 am
Jane Matheson (5/9/2008)
I've thought about writing and even saved information I was working on for topics that I thought would be interesting. Why haven't I actually submitted an article? Insecurity. I've been a SQL Server DBA for 8 years, supported, installed or otherwise managed, NT4 SQL 7 clusters, w2000 SQL 2000 clusters, replication across a worldwide topology, replication as business continuance, boot from SAN technology with SAN mirroring supporting off-site standby servers, dealt with change management issues, and have supported both large-scale SQL implementations (> 120 production servers in one environment) and medium scale environments at different companies. But, yes, I still feel insecure that I don't know everything.The more I know, the more I don't know.
Go for it. The very worst thing that can happen is you'll be wrong about something. Big deal. I must put up something stupid at least every third post and certainly every single article. You'd be hard pressed to do worse than that. Go for it.
"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
May 9, 2008 at 7:37 am
I can't really say I enjoy writing all that much, but it's a skill that you need to continue to work on throughout your life. If you can't communicate your ideas clearly in writing then you won't make a good developer in a team environment. That said I do enjoy getting my ideas across to people. If writing is the best way to share my ideas then that's what I'm going to do.
May 9, 2008 at 7:39 am
I'd love to write more about SQL (or some other nonfiction categories, too) but I don't have anywhere near the talent or experience needed to write something new or authoritative. So I reply on the SQL forums whenever I can chip in, and I just take notes for myself if I have something to say regarding other nonfiction that I'm reading.
Once upon a time I thought I wanted to write fiction, but I realized that it's not for me. I'm much happier reading fiction than writing it.
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A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. He walks up to them and asks, "Can I join you?"
Ref.: http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/02/sql-joke.html
May 9, 2008 at 7:40 am
I would agree with Jane. I have been a DBA for almost 4 years. For me the hard thing is to transition from the person who reads and reads and applies what he learns to the guy that is writing articles for other people to use. I have worked at some of the bigger SQL Server shops in Oklahoma and supported SQL Server at a reasonably high level(Clustering, Replication,Mirroring, Tuning etc) but I have always felt I am the guy who applies what others post and not the guy who should be explaining things to others.
It is insecurity for me as well that keeps me from writing. I see the articles and posts from people here and most have set a very high standard.
--Erich
May 9, 2008 at 7:42 am
You know, you are right. Some useful tidbit of information found during a search is all that is required to help keep someone on track with a project. It doesn't even have to be earth shattering information or come from an all-knowing expert. Just this week I have been working on a project to replicate from SQL 2000 to SQL Express. Without tidbits of knowledge I learned from forums, blogs and articles I would still be working on relearning what others have already learned about configuring SQL Express. My project has been made easier because of others.
May 9, 2008 at 7:47 am
I've tried writing once when I was 16 but during that time I had much more time for me than this days. The reason why I don't write is because the lack of time between all the things that I do and want to do.
I love computers and all the things you can do with them. I'm trying to learn some 3d animation, meanwhile I'm studying some technical stuff with .NET and then I have to attend the work in my job. So that's the real reason why I don't write here.
Still, Reading the posts that I get in my mail are worth the time spent. Many of them have helped me to improve my skills using databases. Actually most of my increasing skills were earned because of SQLServerCentral, so I really should thank all of you.
Right now I have a question posted in the forums. I don't have an answer yet. I got some idea how to solve it but I don't work on it yet. So, If I manage to solve it; I promise to post the answers.
Thanks a lot
Alberto
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