I continue to make the journey from developer to DBA, and found Joe Celko's insight into the differences between the mindsets frighteningly accurate.

Allow me to offer this perspective using my experiences as a developer: I watched VB evolve as a language from nothing to .Net. There have been two major paradigm shifts in the language since its inception: the jump to 32-bit programing and classes (VB4) and the jump to .Net.

In each instance, the move was met with resistance in the community.

Is resistance to change bad? This, I believe, is the operative question. I'm trained as an engineer, so forgive my results-oriented analysis...

Regarding resistance to these changes, allow me quote Dr. Phil, "How's that workin' out for you?" Has Microsoft ever, in response to complaints, changed everything "back"?

I feel I can pick on VB6'ers who are resisting the move to .Net. Not all of them, only the ones who haven't learned how and when to use classes - even though the functionality was introduced in VB4 (circa 95, 96?).

My point is thus: Technology changes, by nature and design. If you want to work in a field where things remain relatively stable, technology isn't for you.

Further, resistance to change can harm your career. If you don't believe that now, just wait - you will.

My points are simple: 1) Microsoft never responds to complaints about change by going "back." They simply institute another change. 2) My money is on professionals who will use the CLR integration into SQL Server 2005 to accomplish things we cannot imagine today.

Just my $0.0162 (after taxes),

Andy