In a previous blog post, I began writing about how one might start a career as a database professional, and agreed to share my own experience in doing so. Since every person and every situation is different, I don’t declare my experience to be a recipe for success, but I’m happy to share it in hopes that someone can learn…
I’ve seen a good deal of coverage recently that is geared toward those who have recently begun a career as a database professional. Brad McGehee posted this week about some potential topics for a book for new SQL Server developers, and Craig Outcalt is publishing a series of articles on SQLServerCentral.com aimed at new DBAs. Brent Ozar also has a…
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the concept of value. Recently, a colleague of mine tendered his resignation quite unexpectedly and at a very inconvenient time, just before the consummation of a 2-year software implementation and data conversion project. Citing health and family concerns, he decided that the value he received from his work was disproportionately low compared to…
I’ve come to learn that there are some really flaky systems out there. Not just a few quirks here and there, but significant problems that someone should have caught. For example, I spent some time earlier this week consolidating two SQL Server machines into one. Through this process, I had to evaluate the vendor app that interfaced with one of…
After almost a year of investigation, market analysis, and contemplation, I have decided to shift from Perl/PHP/MySQL to a Microsoft ASP.NET/ADO.NET architecture, focusing on C# development. This change will affect my current college enrollment, career goals, and all of my websites I currently own and/or manage. Why, after investing so much time in learning the LAMP (Linux/Apache/MySQL/Perl/PHP) platform, would I…