Re: convert CL8WIN1251 to UTF8

"JC" <jeffc_at_sympatico.ca> wrote in message news:Q6C39.1966$Xf7.490916_at_news20.bellglobal.com...
> koert54 wrote:
>
> > For once I support Sybrand's statement :-) (no offense Sy-dude)
> > Anyone claiming things like 'but on page x on this book it states ...'
> > without even trying it out makes
> > me smile :-)
>
> What doesn't make me smile is when two seperate publications by Oracle
> contridict one another. All the study material I get from Oracle (and
> outside Oracle) states it's important to set NLS stuff when you create the
> database because it can't be changed after.
>
> If also mentioned that I could be wrong because I have seen other errors
in
> Oracles OCP exam study material. I was interested to find out about it.
> Im not going to go through the hassle of creating a database then changing
> the NLS paramaters before I post a message in the newsgroup. You could
> politely reply by saying "Yes, Oracle got that wrong in that publication".
> Thats what I was expecting to hear instead of ego gloating like the above.

I agree with you, JC. As you found, you can't always rely on what Oracle docs say. Some time, just glance thru the Oracle 9iAS doc set ... a lot of it applies to very old versions, so if you follow the directions, you'll get errors. But I've been around Oracle long enuf to know that they are more marketing driven than technology driven (witness their claim that Oracle runs on any hardware ... sure, maybe it *compiles* on every hardware). However, they aren't going to change just because one or two customers complain. After all, if you're not on one of their development platforms (like Sun Solaris), you are little more than a beta tester to them. Ask someone who has an SGI or and IBM MVS system ... or hundreds of other combinations. Thank goodness I don't have to deal with that any more. <g>

On your other topic, JC, I also thought newsgroups were one place you could go to get help. However, this particular newsgroup has a lot of regulars who only want to embarrass new or novice posters ... or, at best, make them feel like fools. Sadly, many newsgroups cater to smug people who wouldn't think of talking that way to someone face-to-face. Maybe that didn't used to be true (actually, I've been lucky in my "hobby" newsgroup - flight sims, where most of the people are helpful).

But I can just hear someone at the office - new to Oracle - asking a question and being told "Why not ask your question in the Oracle newsgroup?" After finding out what a newsgroup even is, they set up their newsreader (maybe with a little help from some kind soul) and subscribe to *comp.databases.oracle.server* ... thinking they'll find lots of helpful people. So they compose their question and press the Send button, then wait. After a while, they check back to see if anyone answered their question.

Yes! There are a couple of answers in the thread. Excited, they read the replies ... and are *flamed* with statements like "RTFM" or "that question was answered a thousand times already!" or "why don't you check the Google archives?" or "that's about the dumbest thing I've ever seen" or "why would you want to do it that way?". Those who lurk or respond regularly to the newsgroup know all that stuff ... and have seen it hundreds of times. Those who are taking their first steps into the nntp world, can't understand why everyone gets so upset. Hey, I just asked a simple question. And so they leave the newsgroup world and return to the web, knowing at least there, they don't have to wade thru all the flame wars.

Oh well, I have about as much chance turning the smug, self-righteous regulars into polite people as I have getting Oracle to admit that their software doesn't really run very well on some hardware / software platforms. But wouldn't it be nice if we could post questions without fear of recrimination? Even if the question I ask has been asked a thousand times, it's my first time. Sigh ... it's not worth fighting. So I'll just slink down off my soapbox and retire into the recesses. If I see a question I can answer, I'll try my best to be polite (or return to my flight sim newsgroup).

Roger Crowley Received on Mon Aug 05 2002 - 21:15:53 CDT