The concept of tact is simple. Telling people truths, often harsh truths, without making it seem harsh. Hopefully, it is clear that being truthful is one of the more essential things in life. As a person in technology (and certainly as an editor), we often need to be honest when the truth hurts a bit … Read more
Congratulations! You got the promotion!! Once the excitement and adrenaline rush of a promotion passes, it is common to find yourself staring at the yawning abyss of the unknown. Then you ask yourself the question that we all ask: “Now what?“ Do you know what upper management expects? Do you know where to start? Do … Read more
I was working for Xerox when the Xerox Star, precursor to all the computer systems in use today, was introduced. Before then, computer users just had command-line or character-based GUIs. The Xerox Star workstations were displayed for the first time for us insiders in a special room, like a secular chapel, guarded over by the … Read more
I use Chat-GPT occasionally, instead of Google, to get answers to technical questions. Well there is definite value in promise in the technology, the trouble is that it currently uses authoritative sources with the same eagerness as blog posts written by newly-trained wannabe database devs who seek to get their names known, and I have … Read more
When I was a DBA involved with the management of a large number of database servers, I didn’t have many third-party tools to help me do my job. For the most part, I relied on scripts that I found or wrote. I enjoyed writing scripts to manage the servers, as it taught me a lot … Read more
Fish are beautiful creatures, but they have one minor issue. The main thing I remember from the years I fished is that fish can be susceptible. If you have a fishing lure that shows off with a bright, colorful, shiny appearance that splashes around just right, fish will lose their minds and go after it, … Read more
It is almost New Year’s Day, that time when the optimistic at heart start thinking about making changes in their life on that magical day that ends the year. After the glorious gluttony-fest that has only recently ended in many cultures, it does feel like a great time to start. If you have your life/work … Read more
From personal observation and experience, most people want to be comfortable in their vocation. Getting comfortable and not keeping up with new products, versions, and trends can be dangerous to your employer's business and your future.… Read more
At the turn of the millennium, I was a young adult, just finished education and starting my very first job at a software company. I was excited, enthusiastic, and felt well-prepared for a life of “Office 9 to 5” and was looking forward to earning my keep. But I was naïve when it came to … Read more
We are just one month away from the PASS Data Community Summit. One month. If you haven't yet decided to go… let me try to sway you at least one more time to be there in mid- November.… Read more
“ A new adventure, there in your eyes. It’s just beginning, Feel your heart beat faster. Reach out and find your Happily ever after! “ Well, here I am. My first new job in over 20 years and it is a dream come true. I have always wanted to do more to help people learn … Read more
For the first time in eleven years of travel, I became profoundly sick while on the road. No, I’m not sharing details of any kind. What I will share is just this; I wasn’t prepared. When I travel, I look at the weather, where I’m going, how long, and I pack accordingly. I have my … Read more
I book my travel almost exclusively through a single airline and its affiliates. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the big one is status. And no, not so I get upgrades (although they are very nice), but so when things go wrong, I have a hotline to getting them fixed. However, I … Read more
Said no manager ever. Money is the one thing every candidate at any job interview is advised never to mention. The salary on offer for the role is treated almost like a *dirty secret. Job advertisements only reveal a band or range, which makes sense to a certain extent, given that the candidate may be … Read more
I can’t move on from editing Simple Talk without one more editorial about Star Trek. There are over 600 hours of episodes and movies to watch, and despite being a fan, I don’t think I’ll ever catch up. Even worse, I haven’t watched most of what I’ve seen more than once. Lately, I just completed … Read more
We recently ordered a tablet for our 8-year-old grandson. We ensured that it would support a decent-sized SSD card, 128 GB, for storing all the photos and videos he will likely take. He’ll mostly play games or watch videos on the tablet, and his favorite video is Dragon’s Doom. Purchasing this gift made me think … Read more
Back when it was more difficult to work from home due to bandwidth, I would often head into the office to work for several hours on some weekends and bank holidays like President’s Day. I was a database administrator and was always involved with many projects, but what would make me give up my well-deserved … Read more
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