Nice short video explaining Exadata Smart Scan. h/t @kbillings of The Oracle Database Insider Blog.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
M&M's - Managers and Meetings
via Lewis Cunningham via Justin Levy. I've argued this for years, probably because I've been reading Jason Fried since 2005.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
IT Meritocracy
Had to look up the word meritocracy, just so I didn't look stupid:
IT is very meritocratic. I love that. It's partially what drew me to IT. It has allowed me, without formal education, to gain acceptance and and make a good living.
Let's face it though, IT, generally speaking, is the Wild West. It is no where near as established as Accounting, or Architecture, or Engineering...there is always more than one way to do a particular activity. Not so much in those other professions.
They have history behind the way things are done. It was proven long ago, in many instances, that doing something a particular way is the best way to do it. Those professions today stand on the shoulders of giants.
We really don't have that. Our industry is just too young.
I think this is one of the reasons I enjoy the DBA world, things are provable. DBAs can prove why something is better this was versus the other way. Developers have a harder time. Like I said, there is more than one way to do things.
Technology.
Which one? PL/SQL and put it in the database? (a resounding yes from me). What about Java and moving the business rules to the middle tier? Or Ruby? Or any other language for that matter?
Those decisions are mostly based on a developers comfort zone, or what's hot at the moment. It's not provable though, that one is better than the other. We've had the discussion here on multiple occasions (here, here, here, here...and a bunch of other ones)
How does this relate to meritocracy?
Good question. I would say that most decisions to go a certain direction are based on experience. Experience = merit, in the world of common sense anyway. IT is different though, experience does not equal merit. Just because you have worked in IT for 30 years, that does not make you an expert in a given technology. Sure, for the very rare person, that 30 years is quite valuable...they have seen it all and done it all...and they have learned along the way. I can usually spot those types easily, as there is a sort of calm to them, humility. I tend to gravitate towards those people (which is why I love OOW and other conferences so much, there are a lot of super smart people in close proximity).
I'm not perfect of course. I can remember an incident a couple of years ago where I called a colleague and friend, complicated. In fact, he wasn't, I just didn't know what he was doing. I learned quite a lot from that gentlemen.
How do you tell who is who?
Is it the person like me who isn't afraid to say "I don't know." Or is the person who says, unflinchingly, that we should use technology A over technology B? I usually have a good idea of who's talking out their ass (including myself, on those occasions where I let my emotions get the better of me)...but how do those not "in the know" know? Managers? Other colleagues who might not be versed in a particular technology? How can they tell?
I tend to end up on the wrong side of that. My manager, or someone else, believes I'm just a mal-content. I am working on that.
The meritocratic IT environment is equally fun and frustrating. I just need to figure out a way to minimize the frustrating part of it.
* a form of social system in which power goes to those with superior intellects
* the belief that rulers should be chosen for their superior abilities and not because of their wealth or birth
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
* a system that rewards an individual based on their own talent and ability.
www.deanza.edu/faculty/leeethan/glossary.html
* A system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement.
www.talentrecessions.com/terminologycontent.html
* the belief that rulers should be chosen for their superior abilities and not because of their wealth or birth
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
* a system that rewards an individual based on their own talent and ability.
www.deanza.edu/faculty/leeethan/glossary.html
* A system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement.
www.talentrecessions.com/terminologycontent.html
IT is very meritocratic. I love that. It's partially what drew me to IT. It has allowed me, without formal education, to gain acceptance and and make a good living.
Let's face it though, IT, generally speaking, is the Wild West. It is no where near as established as Accounting, or Architecture, or Engineering...there is always more than one way to do a particular activity. Not so much in those other professions.
They have history behind the way things are done. It was proven long ago, in many instances, that doing something a particular way is the best way to do it. Those professions today stand on the shoulders of giants.
We really don't have that. Our industry is just too young.
I think this is one of the reasons I enjoy the DBA world, things are provable. DBAs can prove why something is better this was versus the other way. Developers have a harder time. Like I said, there is more than one way to do things.
Technology.
Which one? PL/SQL and put it in the database? (a resounding yes from me). What about Java and moving the business rules to the middle tier? Or Ruby? Or any other language for that matter?
Those decisions are mostly based on a developers comfort zone, or what's hot at the moment. It's not provable though, that one is better than the other. We've had the discussion here on multiple occasions (here, here, here, here...and a bunch of other ones)
How does this relate to meritocracy?
Good question. I would say that most decisions to go a certain direction are based on experience. Experience = merit, in the world of common sense anyway. IT is different though, experience does not equal merit. Just because you have worked in IT for 30 years, that does not make you an expert in a given technology. Sure, for the very rare person, that 30 years is quite valuable...they have seen it all and done it all...and they have learned along the way. I can usually spot those types easily, as there is a sort of calm to them, humility. I tend to gravitate towards those people (which is why I love OOW and other conferences so much, there are a lot of super smart people in close proximity).
I'm not perfect of course. I can remember an incident a couple of years ago where I called a colleague and friend, complicated. In fact, he wasn't, I just didn't know what he was doing. I learned quite a lot from that gentlemen.
How do you tell who is who?
Is it the person like me who isn't afraid to say "I don't know." Or is the person who says, unflinchingly, that we should use technology A over technology B? I usually have a good idea of who's talking out their ass (including myself, on those occasions where I let my emotions get the better of me)...but how do those not "in the know" know? Managers? Other colleagues who might not be versed in a particular technology? How can they tell?
I tend to end up on the wrong side of that. My manager, or someone else, believes I'm just a mal-content. I am working on that.
The meritocratic IT environment is equally fun and frustrating. I just need to figure out a way to minimize the frustrating part of it.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
katezilla: Rock Star
Of course I think my daughter is a rock star. Don't you?
It's been a little while since I have written about Kate, so here goes.
One of the awesome things about OOW this year...just about everybody I met asked about Kate. How cool is that? You guys are some pretty awesome people.
Kate has been doing well...nothing major to report over the last couple of months, until today.
Today was our follow-up visit with Dr. Sutton of Butterfly Effects. Back in February, we had a rather...poor performance from another doctor. He took our money and didn't really provide us with anything; no direction, no "I don't know", no nothing really. "I don't know" is just fine with us. If there is anything we've learned with Kate...she appears to be quite unique...so "I don't know" is perfectly acceptable. Funny how that ties in with IT isn't it? (no, I'm too lazy to explain that one)
Back to Dr. Sutton and today's visit.
We were aware that Dr. Sutton had already spoken to Kate's teacher and her Speech Therapist, way more than the previous doctor. Good sign. We met her at her office this morning at spent almost 2 hours there. She allowed us to vent (boy, you don't want to get either of us talking about Kate and her history and our plans...we'll go on forever). She took notes. She asked questions that she missed the first time.
The best part (weird, I know), Kate actually got a diagnosis. PDD-NOS. Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified. In essence, Autism.
(Small dig: The first doctor said she didn't have PDD...thanks buddy.)
So what does this mean?
Means lots of goodness.
We now have a diagnosis. Yes, it might seem weird to be happy about something like this...but we've been searching for the longest time. It's...just a relief.
Mentally. Something to hang our hat on. Something to work towards getting her as functional as possible. Hope.
Financially. With no diagnosis, insurance doesn't cover many of her services. By many I mean almost all of them. PT, OT, Speech, her Home Health Aid (new acquisition). That's almost all out of pocket. Not sure why we pay for health insurance...it hasn't done us much good (well...just in regards to Kate).
Kate. Kate will now qualify for more. More services. Better services. More services too. She'll have access to a host of organizations now that will be able to help her (and us).
So we're excited! katezilla, Rock Star!
It's been a little while since I have written about Kate, so here goes.
One of the awesome things about OOW this year...just about everybody I met asked about Kate. How cool is that? You guys are some pretty awesome people.
Kate has been doing well...nothing major to report over the last couple of months, until today.
Today was our follow-up visit with Dr. Sutton of Butterfly Effects. Back in February, we had a rather...poor performance from another doctor. He took our money and didn't really provide us with anything; no direction, no "I don't know", no nothing really. "I don't know" is just fine with us. If there is anything we've learned with Kate...she appears to be quite unique...so "I don't know" is perfectly acceptable. Funny how that ties in with IT isn't it? (no, I'm too lazy to explain that one)
Back to Dr. Sutton and today's visit.
We were aware that Dr. Sutton had already spoken to Kate's teacher and her Speech Therapist, way more than the previous doctor. Good sign. We met her at her office this morning at spent almost 2 hours there. She allowed us to vent (boy, you don't want to get either of us talking about Kate and her history and our plans...we'll go on forever). She took notes. She asked questions that she missed the first time.
The best part (weird, I know), Kate actually got a diagnosis. PDD-NOS. Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified. In essence, Autism.
(Small dig: The first doctor said she didn't have PDD...thanks buddy.)
So what does this mean?
Means lots of goodness.
We now have a diagnosis. Yes, it might seem weird to be happy about something like this...but we've been searching for the longest time. It's...just a relief.
Mentally. Something to hang our hat on. Something to work towards getting her as functional as possible. Hope.
Financially. With no diagnosis, insurance doesn't cover many of her services. By many I mean almost all of them. PT, OT, Speech, her Home Health Aid (new acquisition). That's almost all out of pocket. Not sure why we pay for health insurance...it hasn't done us much good (well...just in regards to Kate).
Kate. Kate will now qualify for more. More services. Better services. More services too. She'll have access to a host of organizations now that will be able to help her (and us).
So we're excited! katezilla, Rock Star!
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