• Your use of the word "trust" worries the heck out of me. I think you meant to say "respect" and if I reread your editorial and replace every "trust" with "respect" it sounds much better, much more natural.

    You make a rather astonishing statement; "Gaining trust online is the same as gaining trust in the real world". I think if you believe that you have really missed the short history of the web.

    In the real world we deal usually in multiple contexts with people where on the web - as with your trust of Paul Randal's advice - its a single-thread context. Thats not enough for trust. Respect, yes, trust no.

    Sorry to be absurd about it - but to make the point - Do you trust Paul Randal to say, manage your finances? Babysit your kids? Borrow your favorite car? You see my problem - you use the word "trust" when I think what you meant to say was that you highly respect Paul Randal's SQL advice in that narrow context. That does not then translate to "trust".

    I get your editorial point - but the wording needs a rewrite. Anyone who would trust anything over the internet and not check and verify is well, an accident waiting to happen.

    There's no such thing as dumb questions, only poorly thought-out answers...