Re: Finding full-table scans?

"Howard J. Rogers" <howardjr20002_at_yahoo.com.au> wrote in message news:<o%mka.9259$1s1.160992_at_newsfeeds.bigpond.com>...

PMFJI
>
> My inbox has been fair brimming with mail from people claiming I've been too
> harsh on Don Burleson, just as Mike did here. After all, he provided a
> script which works, doesn't it?? And he is a Very Important Person who edits
> the Oracle Internals magazine, so he surely knows more than me. Surely??

Hmmmmm, I really have a problem with this "VIP" status that from time to time sticks to people in the Oracle community.

It's one of the most pernicious traits of IT in general, the search for the "ultimate guru". Personality cult. NO place for it in a technical environment. Unfortunately, it's widespread in the Oracle community. Much less common in other communities.

Many years ago I got badly burned by one such person, who shall remain nameless. I was right, and that was demonstrated and proven many times over. But at the time, that "VIP" stuffed me up badly. I had to fight long and hard to regain the reputation for technical correctness that person destroyed in one single, incorrect and erroneous public statement.

So, I developed this instinctive reaction of alarm bells and "bullshit artistry" rash EVERY single time I hear that ANYONE should be heard unconditionally because they have a status (self-appointed or otherwise) of "VIP" or whatever.

I'd have expected in this group no one would fall for this con stuff, but obviously some do.

Now, I do happen to share Howard's opinion about the work of the person in question. Notice I said "work". Not "personality". But, I can't bring myself to say it as openly as Howard does. So, I stay out of the debate. UNTIL it hits one of my "alarm" bells. Which the "VIP" crap did.

Now, I pride myself in being a fair person. If Don (or any1 else) provides advice I can't flaw, then it's fine by me and I won't pin them down to the past. It happened recently here, where I supported something he said, against a troll. But if something is "vip" crap, I for one appreciate people like Howard who, of their own time, point it out. I think it's a good service to all.

>
> Does the script work? I thought I'd check.
>

Ooooops...... :)

>
> But his script only works if you use tables, tables and nothing but
> tables... and preferably no indexes either. It's shoddy. My DBA Fundamentals
> I students could have come up with something comparable.
>

Shortcuts, I suppose. AND one of the reasons for example Steve Adams' scripts have so much stuff in them. Three quarters of it is not needed if all you're dealing with is humbug stuff. It's the last quarter, the special case, that sorts the man from the boys.

That's how one can see if the person has indeed researched the subject or is just providing another load of scripting for those dreadful "User Group Diskettes".

Which BTW were the MAIN source of MANY of the myths we hear about nowadays...

Yet, I have recently seen "versions" of Steve's scripts abbreviated of the extra detail stuff and passed as "highly technical scripts". Nothing wrong with that, if acknowledged and explained. These weren't...

> So no, I haven't been unduly harsh on Don. His technical prowess is
> demonstrably pathetic. As I originally said: Humbug Alert.
>

I for one say thanks.

Cheers
Nuno Souto
wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam Received on Tue Apr 08 2003 - 00:59:33 CDT