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RE: Serious Question (believe it or not)...

From: Kevin Lange <kgel_at_ppoone.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 13:06:26 -0700
Message-ID: <F001.00320F41.20010607125613@fatcity.com>

Jim;
  I would love to see a book that has all you are talking about .... the things that DBAs love to talk about ... plus a few things that we need to talk about.

I think a section on how to deal reasonably with the user community would be very helpful for DBAs just starting out. I know that we often joke and complain about the unreasonable requests and the unreasonable deadlines and the downright stupidity of some users ... but, as a DBA, you have to know how to deal with this kind of thing and STILL support them to the level that is required. Failure to act in the correct manner can lead a very technically competent DBA into the world of outcast obscurity if they do not watch it.

Along with this you might add a section on Procedures (Not the Oracle Kind), Specs, and Standards. That is another item that is missing from most books. Show them a good starting point for their Standards and Procedures. Inform them that , although no one wants to be bogged down in a procedure, sometimes its all thats between you and a flood of useless code and requests. Standards are also a DBAs weapon against getting lost in a world of duplicate and hard to understand code. I , for one, have come to a new job and found that each and every one of them did their job differently . Although this promotes individuality, it makes it real difficult for a new team member to come up to speed in a reasonable time. It should also show them that Specs can be their friend. Its their armor between themselves and the users. Specs are the conduit thru which work should flow. They are also very good documentation that can be used to shield you when the user comes back and complains ...."But I did not ask for that !!" (of course ... when has a user ever done that !)

I hope you include some real life "Scenarios from the Masses". Real life situations and their resolutions. Your basic DBA Tall Tale.

And finally, A section on how/where/and when to get help. We have all delt with Oracle and their "Helpless Desk" from time to time. For me, their support has gone from Exceedingly Hot and Helpful to a dip in the Arctic Ocean and useless. What are some sources the DBA can use and When should they actually run to them instead of investigating on their own. We know how long diagnosis takes. There are certain situations now where I don't even bother to try. I simply go to the experts who let me know how to fix it. Our time is precious after all.

Anyway ... just a few more suggestions for you.

Kevin

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 2:26 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

self-publishing houses charge you to publish the book (yes, they do, that's how my father-in-law published his book)

I also doubt that they give you much in the way of help in editing your book, so that if your English is not good (as the case of the author that Jonathan is working with) you end up with an unreadable book.

>From: "Hillman, Alex" <Alex.Hillman_at_usmint.treas.gov>
>Reply-To: ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com
>To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L <ORACLE-L_at_fatcity.com>
>Subject: RE: Serious Question (believe it or not)...
>Date: Thu, 07 Jun 2001 07:45:49 -0800
>
>I would one of self-publishing houses like Technion where you can get 33%
>of
>sales.
>If your book is any good it will sell in the same volume as with any other
>publisher (not that they spend a lot of money for promotion any way).
>
>Alex Hillman
>
>-----Original Message-----
>Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 4:31 AM
>To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
>
>
>First would be to prepare and send a synopsis to the
>'big name' oracle publishers - O'Reilly, Wrox and the
>like..
>
>hth
>connor
>
>--- Jim Hawkins <jhawkins_at_primary.net> wrote: > All,
> >
> > I am very interested in collaborating with others in
> > the writing of an
> > Oracle technical book (DBA subject matter). I am
> > interested in how those of
> > you who have done this (ala Rachel), got started or
> > made the right
> > connections. I do have a somewhat literary
> > background, so I know I can do
> > this.
> >
> > Jim
> >
> > Jim Hawkins
> > Lead SAPR/3 Oracle Database Administrator
> > MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.
> > 600 Pearl Drive
> > St. Louis, MO 633376
> > 9636) 474-7832
> > jhawkins_at_memc.com (work)
> > jhawkins_at_primary.net (home)
> >
> > --
> > Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ:
> > http://www.orafaq.com
> > --
> > Author: Jim Hawkins
> > INET: jhawkins_at_primary.net
> >
> > Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX:
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>=====
>Connor McDonald
>http://www.oracledba.co.uk (mirrored at
>http://www.oradba.freeserve.co.uk)
>
>"Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue"
>
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>Author: Hillman, Alex
> INET: Alex.Hillman_at_usmint.treas.gov
>
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-- 
Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
-- 
Author: Rachel Carmichael
  INET: carmichr_at_hotmail.com

Fat City Network Services    -- (858) 538-5051  FAX: (858) 538-5051
San Diego, California        -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists
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-- 
Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
-- 
Author: Kevin Lange
  INET: kgel_at_ppoone.com

Fat City Network Services    -- (858) 538-5051  FAX: (858) 538-5051
San Diego, California        -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists
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Received on Thu Jun 07 2001 - 15:06:26 CDT

Original text of this message

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