January 30, 2020 at 3:21 pm
My compliments, Sean, on the phrase "user hostile" describing the site because it's so very precise. It got to the point where posting answers became so difficult and time-consuming that it just wasn't worth it. To have the OP come back and say things are too complicated and demand a one-line answer where there isn't one...what's the point again? It just wasn't worth the struggle.
I've been so busy at work over the past couple of years that I have less and less time. I don't even come for the QOTD any more.
I learned a lot from this site over the years and am forever grateful for it. I, too, got answers shot down in flames and from those, I learned a different way of looking at problems, to consider the edge cases and to slow down. Heck, I got to meet several people in real life that I first met here, including my best friend. What SSC has done for the SQL community over the years is beyond measure.
One day, we'll have to have a meeting of that Anti-RBAR Confederation you spoke about. We'll schedule time to talk about food. 🙂
I've had similar conversations with people on this topic at PASS Summit. People will get heavily engaged for a few years, usually starting when they're not very senior. They'll get good and then leave the community. Why? Because they've moved beyond it in some way. Either they've moved into architecture, management, or on to other platforms. It's kind of like college (or maybe not, I went to a weird school and dropped out of that). You go for a while. The only ones who hang around are those who go on to teach. I think the same happens in the forums. You know what, that's OK. Do it when it's right for you and when you can best help or be helped, then stop when that's the right choice.
"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
January 30, 2020 at 3:26 pm
MVDBA (Mike Vessey) wrote:and never mind that - i'm still trying to figure out what happened to brad mghee.
Brad pulled back as well. This whole MVP grind can be a serious grind. I love it, but I absolutely see how it can burn you out. Especially on the forums. Some days it feels like there are only about 8-10 questions and they just get asked in slightly different language, over and over. Then of course the people who want to play stump the chump to prove they're smarter than an MVP (which, trust me, doesn't take much, depending on the MVP, and I mean me, not picking on others here) which also wears you down. My favorite are the people who walk up, in person, and demand that you be a full-time, unpaid, consultant. These frequently get quite pissy when you tell them that you have a paying gig you have to take care of first. There are also the people you've never met who have decided that you are in fact their long lost mentor. And, unfortunately, for the women, there are a certain, very small, but still far too large, cohort of men who think that they shouldn't be messing around in the men folks realm and should instead be barefoot & pregnant. The female MVPs draw them in like the flies they are.
In short, even in our teeny tiny pond, being a public figure can be tough.
well i'm enjoying being back in our community fishpond and I'm hoping to do more.
as for sexism (or racism) it has no place in any community - gender and ethnicity are just lookup tables in my database (so we can put Dear Sir rather than dear Miss on our mailshots - and we don't send adverts for pork related products to certain religions - i'm still out on the vegan thing though, they are fair game 🙂 )
(and PS Grant, you are our long lost mentor, I often wonder if my father wasn't either you or steve 🙂 - we know it's not brent, he likes DMV's too much)
MVDBA
January 30, 2020 at 3:27 pm
Grant Fritchey wrote:This whole MVP grind can be a serious grind. I love it, but I absolutely see how it can burn you out. Especially on the forums. Some days it feels like there are only about 8-10 questions and they just get asked in slightly different language, over and over.
Participation on the forums (MSDN?) is mandatory then to be considered an MVP? (I've never looked into the scheme, to be honest, I'm far too "young" in my SQL Server career for that.)
No one knows what the secret sauce is for MVP. Some people do a lot of posting online (raises hand). Others don't. It's all about engagement and numbers for Microsoft. So, posting on the single largest Data Platform forum on the planet... I think that works pretty well for engagement and numbers. However, there are MVPs who do absolutely nothing in public, but are heavily engaged with the product teams. It's really all over the map. Although, every time someone asks, "How do I become an MVP," I answer "Do what MVPs do." That's all I've got.
"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
January 30, 2020 at 3:28 pm
Grant Fritchey wrote:This whole MVP grind can be a serious grind. I love it, but I absolutely see how it can burn you out. Especially on the forums. Some days it feels like there are only about 8-10 questions and they just get asked in slightly different language, over and over.
Participation on the forums (MSDN?) is mandatory then to be considered an MVP? (I've never looked into the scheme, to be honest, I'm far too "young" in my SQL Server career for that.)
I tried.... so many exams, so much community contribution... but my day job wouldn't let me get there
MVDBA
January 30, 2020 at 3:30 pm
(and PS Grant, you are our long lost mentor, I often wonder if my father wasn't either you or steve 🙂 - we know it's not brent, he likes DMV's too much)
You're going to need to get a court order and some DNA, because I'm denying it until I see the test. HA!
"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
January 30, 2020 at 3:42 pm
MVDBA (Mike Vessey) wrote:(and PS Grant, you are our long lost mentor, I often wonder if my father wasn't either you or steve 🙂 - we know it's not brent, he likes DMV's too much)
You're going to need to get a court order and some DNA, because I'm denying it until I see the test. HA!
I have the same "badger stripes" in my beard as you.. and i'm pretty sure at one of the next SQL in the city conferences I can get an account manager to steal your knife and fork for DNA.
in a nice way, everyone in this chat room is one of your children (DBA DNA) - which makes jeff my brother (not happy) 🙂 lol
MVDBA
January 30, 2020 at 3:45 pm
But have either of you ever been to Belgium?
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January 30, 2020 at 3:57 pm
But have either of you ever been to Belgium?
Let's just say, mussels, mayo on fries and a tripel is one of my favorite meals on the planet.
"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
January 30, 2020 at 3:59 pm
In 1984 I spent an evening at Rick's Cafe American drinking small (approx 7 oz) bottles of coke with a high school friend before heading to Paris via the overnight train.
412-977-3526 call/text
January 30, 2020 at 4:07 pm
Did someone mention food?
For fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden
January 30, 2020 at 4:21 pm
Did someone mention food?
please don't start this - as much as I love food, i'm sick of it at the minute - i'm forced to eat nearly 5000 calories per day (I dropped to 9 stone - 57kg from 13 stone - 82kg while in hospital)
and if I hear another developer joke about my eating, I will kill them.. (although I did like "whilest you are at that table, can you tell me your fill factor") a user experience developer looked up fill factor.... yay
cue the DBA jokes
MVDBA
January 30, 2020 at 4:43 pm
ChrisM@Work wrote:Did someone mention food?
please don't start this - as much as I love food, i'm sick of it at the minute - i'm forced to eat nearly 5000 calories per day (I dropped to 9 stone - 57kg from 13 stone - 82kg while in hospital)
and if I hear another developer joke about my eating, I will kill them.. (although I did like "whilest you are at that table, can you tell me your fill factor") a user experience developer looked up fill factor.... yay
cue the DBA jokes
I'm sorry to hear this Mike and I hope you're better soon.
I currently have two food dependants (not including the mrs, who's a beans on toast kinda gal).
A very good friend stays with us about one night per week. His next visit is this saturday. After years and years of quietly suffering Crohns, he had a bundle of stuff removed and some exterior plumbing switched around, losing about a third of his body weight in the process. After making a startling recovery from this, he was subsequently diagnosed with NETS, a type of cancer, and the weight dropped off him again. He's regaining slowly at the moment, and when he's staying o/n with us, I feed him with huge quantities of stuff he loves. This saturday it will be razor clams and fresh hot-smoked salmon.
The other dependant is Old Bob next door. He's 80, and completely lost his marbles a couple of years ago when he lost his mrs to dementia. We look after him - he's around every night for his dinner and at weekends, that would be lunch too. He's grateful for anything we give him, which means I get to play more than I would if he wasn't around.
Oh and Ed Wagner, if you're reading this - I tried your recommendation of bacon and it's absolutely wonderful, thank you so much matey.
For fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden
January 30, 2020 at 4:59 pm
diagnosed with NETS, a type of cancer, and the weight dropped off him again. He's regaining slowly at the moment.
cancer is truly horrible and I've had a few scares - but are you sure he wasn't diagnosed with .NET … I have a developer who is Entity framework positive.
please pass my regards on to your friend, it's very easy to slip into Gallows humour when you see other people in the same boat as your friend (in your case, much worse... I just had pneumonia, influenza and a collapsed lung - tis just a flesh wound)
MVDBA
January 30, 2020 at 5:07 pm
Oh and Ed Wagner, if you're reading this - I tried your recommendation of bacon and it's absolutely wonderful, thank you so much matey.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Chris. I'm glad it worked out well. Once you actually do it, it's much simpler than it sounds.
I'm planning on doing another belly this summer when I do 2 pork shoulders and 6 chickens for my daughter's grad party. She's undecided on the smoked macaroni and cheese. I'm thinking of trying my hand at a beef brisket for the first time, too. Heck, I might do a pork loin at the same time for Jeff. 🙂
Sorry to hear about your friend. Cancer is a devastating thing and it's really nice of you to look out for him. The razor clams and smoked salmon sounds fabulous. Thanks again for the feedback, good sir.
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