The Stubborn DBA

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The Stubborn DBA

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Phil Factor

Posted Sunday, January 08, 2012 9:38 PM

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Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Stubborn DBA

Best wishes,

Phil Factor
Simple Talk

Post #1232192

Stephen E. Cook

Posted Sunday, January 08, 2012 11:07 PM

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I agree completely. It is the challenging ones that make a job interesting and therefore worthwhile. I don't think anyone enjoys the day-to-day get-this-done type of stuff.

-- Stephen Cook

Post #1232206

andagr

Posted Monday, January 09, 2012 12:04 AM

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I also agree, spot on!

/@devandreas

Post #1232220

FdP

Posted Monday, January 09, 2012 2:55 AM

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I completley agree, especially on "Ones usefulness to an organisation is not just based on knowledge, but on ability, through long practice, in working out how to solve problems, no matter what they are."

In some organisations, ones knowledges of the company, work processses and its structure obtained during years of IT work is often disregarded.

Especially senior IT managers/ CIO with several years under their belt in the same company might know more about the internals of the company as the GM; we are the ones in the field that have to find solutions to operational insufficiencies, its not not only the companies 'problems' we have to identify, but also translate them into a IT based solutions.

Post #1232279

David McKinney

Posted Monday, January 09, 2012 3:02 AM

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You've hit the nail on the head, Phil....which is, of course, preferable to hitting the keyboard with the head.

Unfortunately, I usually have to reach the point where the metaphorical keyboard bashing becomes literal keyboard bashing before I may ask myself the slightly philosophical question of why I'm doing this.

Post #1232281

call.copse

Posted Monday, January 09, 2012 3:16 AM

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Ahh, you do have a grand way with words Mr Factor. I always find myself resembling the 'agree with everyone' guy from The Fast Show (I think - sorry for the parochial reference) when I read your stuff.

Anyhow - I think that is why I can very often look at a problem presented by a colleague and immediately see a solution. Bloomin' years of stubborn review of seemingly intractable issues. It has come hard...

Post #1232289

Rich Weissler

Posted Monday, January 09, 2012 5:24 AM

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In the vernacular of the younger generation "This is full of win!" Thank you Mr. Factor for putting it into words. (I can't count the number of times I've had to explain to folks that, "Yes, we've worked around the problem, but I still wanted to understand WHY it occurred in the first place."

Post #1232331

abatej

Posted Monday, January 09, 2012 7:18 AM

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The way I look at it when I am trying to solve one of these problems:

You cannot let the computer win! If you do, it will start thinking it can win all the time!

w00t

Post #1232403

hoekma

Posted Monday, January 09, 2012 8:02 AM

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Ok, I have to be the first one to throw a monkey wrench into the conversation. For full disclosure, I'm not a fulltime DBA. I work in TSQL quite a bit, but also do a lot of work in other application tiers (business logic, ui).

Don't you think sometimes when getting into one of these situations it's time to step back and decide whether you are using a the wrong tool? (like a hammer when you need a screwdriver). Sometimes when things are this hard it is an indication that maybe the task should be moved to a different application tier. Solving the problem in the wrong place (not saying that's always the case or necessarily the programming case that started this discuss) just for the sake of not letting the computer win may just make the app harder to maintain over time.

Post #1232443

Tobar

Posted Monday, January 09, 2012 8:55 AM

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Phil, I totally agree with the learning through hours of struggle belief. There is a dark side to this drive however; when I work with others, or they have worked with me Smile

it is not helpful to the "team" if instead of going on to your next assignment you spend those "hours" trying to figure out what went wrong. Yes, the answer might be important long term, but do not try to figure out why the house started on fire while the house is still burning.

<><
Livin' down on the cube farm. Left, left, then a right.

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