I mean, what is that all about...

I read the following piece by DB on search oracle site. I have pasted the link to that article and the article itself below the link.

I read the whole article patiently and at the end of the article I saw something and LOLed : "Donald K. Burleson thinks that he is an Oracle Expert". I mean, what is that about - "thinks"

http://searchoracle.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid41_gci1081593,00.html?track=NL-93&ad=511800

THE ARTICLE

ORACLE VOICES
Guest editorial: Evaluating the credibility of Oracle information Don Burleson
19 Apr 2005
Rating: -2.28- (out of 5)

With powerful web search tools like Google, terabytes of information are right at your fingertips, even the Oracle documentation. Nobody buys the hardcopy Oracle documentation manuals anymore (I'm not even sure Oracle still prints them), and the Oracle documentation CDs are rarely used. Instead, they just do a Google search, and it's all there on the web.

Back in the 1980's the Internet was the exclusive bastion of students, professors, and scientists. It was customary to sign your messages with your qualifications, so everyone immediately had a way to evaluate the credibility of your content. The term "Men of Letters" was used to describe well-qualified professionals, and the phrase originated from the routine practice of stating your credibility (with abbreviations) when signing your name: Sincerely, John Doe, BS, MS, OCP, CCNE, MSCE, McDBA.

Today it's much harder to "learn about" the author of advice on the web. This article will discuss the perils and pitfalls and give you some guidelines for finding high-quality, credible Oracle technical information.

Background check
In Oracle on the Internet, we see hoards of self-proclaimed "Oracle Scientists" and "Oracle Experts," all proclaiming: "Listen to me!" The web has become anonymous and there is a trend in the Oracle industry where it is becoming very difficult to evaluate the credentials of people who give you technical advice about Oracle.

As a matter of practical reality, we must now take the time to evaluate the credibility of any Oracle technical content on the web. Are the publications of an Oracle "Expert" the pontification of an experienced consultant or the ruminations of an elementary-school dropout? Does the self-granted title of "Expert" tell us anything about their real skill and experience?

Oracle consultant Cary Millsap (in this presentation) wisely cautions Oracle professionals against relying on people who tell you they're experts or people that publishers apparently trust. You need to be able to verify the experiential, academic, scientific and research credentials of anyone offering-up Oracle technical advice on the web.

Here is the Google syntax that I've automated (using the fantastic Google API) to quickly see a resume or C.V. for someone you don't know:

oracle "experts_name_here" (CV | C.V. | resume | experience | worked')

In this web-world of fakers and poseurs, all Oracle professionals need to have a strong "BS" radar. But can a Google search really tell you how much credence to give to the assertions of any Oracle Expert or Oracle Scientist?

Janet Burleson, author of Conducting the Programmer Job Interview replies with a resounding "NO." She notes a disturbing trend of Oracle professionals submitting fraudulent qualifications:

"Resume fraud is rampant within the Oracle profession. Almost
one-fourth of the Oracle resumes that I receive have falsified or unverifiable academic degrees and Oracle certifications."

Let's take a closer look at Oracle information on the web and see the perils and pitfalls.

Credibility and the Web
It's amazing how gullible some Netizens can be, as if the act of being published on "that thar Internet thang" makes all of the content 100% reliable. I've devoted a section in my latest book Web Stalkers to this illusion of credibility on the web. It's really the age-old problem of
"don't believe everything you read."

Leveraging the realization that Grandma will believe everything she reads on the web, savvy pranksters have moved in. One example is the hilarious Bonsai Kitten web site, which was created by some very naughty MIT students (make sure to read the side-splitting guest book). My daughter (a college freshman) told me that she recently saw a petition that was being circulated around campus to ban this shocking practice of Bonsai kittens. Another personal favorite is Primate Programming, a web site devoted to replacing computer professionals with chimps and orangutans (check it out -- they have a section on Oracle consulting too!). We also see "parody" web sites devoted to misinformation such as The White House, The Onion and many others.

So, in this world of web fakers and pranksters, how to we find the
"real-deal" for Oracle technical information? Many countries have
strict laws that require a college degree and a license in order to use the titles of "Oracle Engineer" or "Oracle Architect." For example, a Canadian court recently ruled that Microsoft may not issue the title of
"Engineer" (The Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer program) because,
by Canadian law, all engineers must have a college degree in engineering.

In the USA, we also see that some states are considering lawsuits to require college degrees and licenses for anyone using the title
"Engineer" or "Architect":

"Complicating the software-licensing controversy is the fight between
the national licensing boards and industry over the proliferation of
"certified engineers." Microsoft and Novell, in particular, have been
promoting training programs that "graduate" Microsoft-certified or Novell-certified "engineers. The state of Delaware, according to IEEE-USA, is eyeing a lawsuit to stop the use of the word "engineer" in those titles. Indeed, Novell and the state of Nevada licensing board have gone to court over Novell's use of the word "engineer" to describe trainees who may or may not have an engineering degree."

We can be confident that a Software Engineer has an engineering degree and a Database Architect is duly licensed. But what about the Oracle Experts and Scientists?

Oracle experts and credibility
Chris Lawson, author of the bestselling Art and Science of Oracle Performance Tuning, gives his advice for establishing credibility in the Oracle community:

Probably the easiest way to enhance your credibility is to write articles for technical journals. Besides the local user groups, they are numerous technical journals that are happy to review submissions-even from unknown writers. Many popular Oracle authors have used this strategy. For instance, Don Burleson advertises that he has penned over 100 articles! In contrast, why would a publisher listen seriously to someone who has not bothered to publish even a single technical article?

In the USA being "legally" declared an expert is a matter of law. Many of my compatriots have been evaluated and declared to be an Oracle expert by the U.S. court systems, as are many other scientists who testify in computer-related disputes.

In the course of performing Oracle forensic consulting, both parties hire database experts and scientists to evaluate their side of a technical issue, and provide "expert" opinions. All expert witnesses are evaluated by the court and the judge determines if their academic, research and experiential background warrants declaring them an "Oracle Expert." When publishing, these authors have a right to call themselves
"Oracle Experts" as a matter of law, having met their burden of proving
their expertise to the satisfaction of a court.

All about Oracle Scientists
There is a new movement within the Oracle community pushing for the label of "Oracle Scientist." For example, the Oak Table Network is a "a network for the Oracle scientist." The Oak Table is very exclusive and does not allow open membership, with the entire network consisting of less than 200 "invitation only" Oracle Scientists.

Some Oracle professionals don't like the label of "Scientist" because it implies possession of specific qualifications (advanced degrees, scientific research, and academic achievements), and they are concerned because many of the resumes of these Oracle Scientists are not available on the web.

In response to an article Are all Oracle Scientists created equal?, Kent Crotty (an independent Oracle consultant) notes that most people associate a "Scientist" with verifiable credentials and he is disturbed that many "Oracle Scientists" do not publish their scientific qualifications:

The Internet provides us the ability to quickly communicate over vast distances with scientists we possibly will never meet face-to-face. In order to trust or believe in the arguments set forth by a proclaimed scientist, that scientist must also be able to present credentials. Credence for scientist can only be found through published qualifications, research or achievements.

Most Oracle Scientists (and many "wannabees" who wish to be invited join the Oak Table Network) embrace their philosophy of applying the
"scientific method" to Oracle. Oracle science movement wholeheartedly,
while others disagree about the pragmatic value of the Oracle scientist movement, as this ex-Oak Table member notes:

"The scientific minutiae, however "true" it might be, would merely
confuse; the bold, sweeping statement, however simplistic, will nevertheless explain, despite the bold, sweeping statement not being technically accurate. . . There is also a danger that one gets so addicted to that sort of science that one forgets that it is, of itself, of practical relevance to a miniscule number of people"

Now, not everyone agrees that a self-proclaimed Oracle Scientist needs to publish their experience and credentials, and that their "proof" speaks for itself. For example, Oracle consultant Jonathan Lewis suggests that verifying the credibility of an Oracle professional might be unnecessary:

"I would like to suggest that such checks are unnecessary because
information that is presented properly tends to carry its own credentials."

Other Oracle experts are concerned about relying on information from people who will not share their experience and qualifications. Mike Ault, author of over twenty Oracle books notes:

"I pay no attention to any technical information when I cannot verify
the identity or qualifications of the author".

Let's take a closer look at what "qualifications" really mean to the credibility of an Oracle professional.

What constitutes valid Oracle qualifications? Mike Ault notes in his bestselling book "Conducting the Oracle Job Interview" that management should routinely check all aspects of a job candidate's experience and qualifications. Ault lists his other criteria in his book:

Experience - Was this person intimately involved with the internal machinations of Oracle at Redwood? Nobody knows Oracle like the folks who build and maintain it (especially if they have source code!). Is this job candidate a consultant who has worked on hundreds of databases or a day job person with a more-limited breadth of experience? Academics - Does the candidate demonstrate the hard work and persistence required to graduate from a rigorous collegiate program? Were they able to compete effectively for entrance into a competitive graduate school?
Publications - There are many portals where Oracle professionals can share their knowledge and many expect any "real" Oracle expert or Oracle scientist to have a demonstrable commitment to the advancement of Oracle knowledge by publishing in at least one of the following areas:
Books - Oracle technical books or academic press publications. Conference papers - OracleWorld, RMOUG Training Days, Database World, etc.
Trade Periodicals - Oracle Magazine, Oracle Internals, DM Review, Dr. Dobbs journal, IOUG SELECT, etc.
It appears that Ault is biased towards high quality, real-world experience, as this comment from his blog shows his belief that extensive real-world experience is far more important than researching Oracle on a PC:

"I have been at over 24 client sites in the last 6 months doing tuning,
optimizing and database evaluations."

Another hotbed of controversy is the value of a college education in becoming a successful Oracle professional. Let's examine both sides of the issue.

It's all academic?
The majority of US Oracle employers now require that a DBA have (at least) a bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Information Technology "or equivalent experience." Many of the top-paying senior Oracle jobs now prefer Master's degrees.

But what is "equivalent experience?" What kind of experience qualifies as the equivalent to a rigorous four-year degree program? I used to be employed by the State Universities of New York (SUNY) to grant college credit for real-life, college-level learning, and many non-college people don't know whether their work experience is college-level learning. Click here to read about some of my interview nightmares.

Oracle Academy (a new program for aspiring Oracle professionals) notes that a Bachelor's degree is required for their four career paths: Database Engineer, Junior Consultant, Database Administrator and Sales Consultant:

What about the quality, selectivity and rigor of a university? Many of the major employers shop for their new graduates at the top science schools, and they make no secret that they prefer graduates from high-quality programs. This from the book "Conducting the Programmer Job Interview" by Janet Burleson:

"Computer programmers must be highly motivated and self-starting in
order to be effective. These qualities are often shared by those who have gained entrance into competitive schools with rigorous admission standards."

Oracle expert Scott Martin likes to tell people about his personal interview with Larry Ellison while he was a graduate student at MIT. (Martin was later hired by Ellison and was given a position as a senior technical staff member in the Oracle kernel group). Microsoft Corporation also requires a college degree for computing professionals, and it's ironic that Bill Gates (a college drop-out from Harvard) does not meet the standards required by his own HR department.

Many people say that anyone wearing a "Brass Rat" (The MIT class ring) is almost always highly-trained, and others note the high-speed information uptake skills from graduates of Stanford, Harvard, Duke, West Point, and many other first-tier universities.

For example, Col. John Garmany (with his West Point education in Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering), can diagnose Oracle performance problems at every level, right-down to the chipset instruction, and people are amazed at how quickly he grasps and solves an Oracle problem. Is it his West Point discipline, his Master of Science degree in software engineering, or his training as an Army ranger? (Garmany says that his fast problem-solving skills are the natural result of his rigorous academics of 60-80 hours a week of study for six years). Many employers agree, and rely on the top science schools to find the "best and the brightest."

Of course, not everyone agrees, and many claim that a college education can actually be detrimental to the Oracle professional. Let's take a look.

No degree required?
Not everyone agrees about the value of a college education in Oracle technology. Doug Burns, an Oracle DBA in England believes that Oracle is more of a trade than a science, and that a college degree is not necessary:

Mr. Don Burleson, you talk rubbish. I have a very basic high school education but left pretty quickly to play around with computers and taught myself. I've lost count of the number of degree-educated colleagues who I wouldn't allow near a database. This is a craft, so I'll be judged by the quality of my work and not pieces of unrelated paper.

We also have Bill Gates, the brilliant founder of Microsoft who designed one of the world's bestselling operating systems, all without the benefit of a degree or formal training in Software Engineering. Gee, the robustness and reliability of Microsoft Windows speaks for itself.

Personally, I don't think that a degree is required to be an Oracle DBA (but it can be very helpful) and I've seen loads of "Educated Idiots" with advanced degrees but no common-sense or real-world experience. Don't get me started! It is not uncommon for larger corporations to hire inept academicians, and these stereotypes are so common that IT professionals have special names for them, the most common being the Educated Idiot, or EI, for short.

The EI has an impressive resume, a PhD and dozens of citations to research projects (with no practical application) and publications (in obscure academic journals that few people ever read). The hallmarks of the EI include degrees in "easy" majors (Art History, Elementary Education), poor judgment, no common sense, and very poor interpersonal skills.

In this "Expert" column we see others who say that a college degree is not as important as certification and experience:

Question: For the past four years I have worked as a Financial Management Information Systems Administrator, I am currently looking for the same type of employment elsewhere, however I do not have a Bachelor's degree, which most employers require.

Answer: It is my opinion that with your four years of experience and a desire to remain in the field in which you are currently successful, a bachelors' degree will not help you as much as specific training in your field may offer. . . I feel after four or five years of practical experience, the experience is a better indicator of the persons potential than the procession of a degree. This remark will no doubt cause raised eyebrows within academia but my business experience supports my contention. The plan I suggest is to remain at your current position, obtain one of the DBA certification and then decide if you wish to make a change. Armed with your advanced training you will be more marketable as well as having a bit more experience to strengthen your marketability.

Robert Freeman, a full-time Oracle DBA for more than 15 years, has strong feelings about the limited value of a college degree as a predictor of success in Oracle technology:

Perhaps Will Rogers said it best, "The more that learn to read the less learn how to make a living. That's one thing about a little education. It spoils you for actual work. The more you know the more you think somebody owes you a living".

I've met many a degreed DBA who didn't know beans about Oracle, but thought they did. I've met many a degreed DBA who sat back and were content to watch their databases run sub-optimally. The degree doesn't mean anything (nor, for that matter does any certification).

What matters is that you have a broad range of real-world experience, and that you possess a kill-kill mentality that never stops. Give me a high-school dropout with drive and experience any day over a college grad without experience who's just interested in the next frat party.

In sum, fancy degrees may indicate a bright mind and fast problem-solving skills, but widely diversified real-world experience seems to be far more important than a college degree.

Reviewing Oracle book credibility
If someone tries to establish credibility because they are the author of a book, it's easy to go to Amazon and read their book reviews. However, many people don't know that Amazon book reviews can be done anonymously, and superlative reviews with bad grammar (e.g. "This is absolutely one of the best technical books I've done read.") may have been made by the author's Grandma or their favorite Aunt Sara. Many savvy Oracle professionals pay no attention to "5-star ratings" because they expect that Grandma and Aunt Sara are expected to chime in with their whole-hearted admiration of the work of their brilliant offspring.

Oracle professionals are seeking alternative books and the top Oracle authors are starting their own publishing companies, most notably the OakTable Network and Rampant TechPress. These "alternative" Oracle publishers have been very successful in providing hot topics at low prices and they have very positive feedback for their novel approach.

Printed books are one thing, but what about the online Oracle information? Should we go to an Oracle forum for advice? Are all Oracle forums the same? Let's explore some sources of reliable and professional Oracle information on the web.

The "fear of forum" syndrome
In some Oracle forums, beginners have a justified fear of being ridiculed by the moderator and other forum participants if they ask a
"stupid" question or if they use poor grammar and typing:

I think Ora ( Oracle ) has been made for u. I am highly impressed by ur answere.

Worse yet, many innocent Oracle professionals may find themselves the target of profanity, mocking and ridicule.

My company (Burleson Consulting) has a strict professional code of conduct, and everyone must treat our customers with respect and dignity. However, there are dozens of Oracle forums and not everyone agrees about Netiquette conventions. This had led to "the three fears" about using Oracle forums.

NOTE: The text below contains out-of-context excerpts. Be sure to read the full thread to understand the full-context of each example.

Fear of asking a "stupid" question - Some Oracle users are afraid of being mocked for their lack of knowledge or by asking a "stupid question" and being ridiculed by the moderator: what the heck are you talking about and how does this at all relate to subquery factoring and the with clause??? . . . I have no clue what you are talking about. the plan table is still the plan table is still the plan table. . . . You have no idea the complexity of the database apparently either.

Fear of being mocked - Some non-USA Oracle professionals (especially those who do not speak English as their primary language) fear forums where they might be insulted for their poor English composition skills:

is your keyboard broken such that Y and O do not work anymore? cle might be the next to go.

And the participant's understandable response:

I am very Upset with "YOUR" Behaviour. I have not expected the same from " YOU". You could have convey the same in a different Professional Words . . . For "YOUR" kind information Dear Tom , My KEYBOARD has not broken down at all.
Fear of being cursed - Many Oracle professionals are also "turned-off" by those who distract from a discussion by posting profane, arrogant, insulting, off-base, or irrelevant remarks:
"Actually calling HJR a bastard is not an insult; it is an elevation --
just ask his mother."

Many Oracle professionals avoid the un-moderated Oracle UseNet newsgroups because they contain spam, profanity and nasty non-technical content.

The Usenet Nnewsgroups can be very entertaining reading, but they may be peppered with unbelievable raunch, impersonators and profanity.

and probably your mothers back -- because you are a dumb f**k and old fart.

Many Oracle professionals are saddened by this disturbing tendency for Oracle forum members to impersonate others, arrogantly toss out the arguments without sharing their background or qualifications, or hurling offensive personal insults. They say that it's unprofessional and tarnishes the respectability of the Oracle profession.

In a recent forum discussion titled "Predictive Reorganization" on the Oracle-owned "asktom" forum, participants impersonated me and Mike Ault, hurled insults, and one participant felt that it was important to mention my company Dress code. Another Oracle professional felt that it was important to the discussion to note that I look like an "Oompa Loompa." (Really, I'm not making this up.)

But what does this have to do with Oracle predictive reorganization, and why did the asktom moderator allow someone to publish it?

As a result of these disturbing trends, many Oracle professionals avoid all Oracle forums, while others are very careful to avoid any Oracle forum that:

Is un-moderated (or moderated by someone who allows unprofessional content).
Allows anonymous unverifiable postings, and impersonation. Contains profanity, off-topic remarks, or gratuitous insults. Safe-haven sources
Does this mean that there are no valid sources of credible Oracle information on the web? No, there are many forums that require verifiable identities and have real-world Oracle experts. Best of all, beginners never have to fear being embarrassed for their lack of knowledge and non-USA customers never have to fear being mocked for poor English skills. Here are some of my favorite sources for online Oracle information:

MetaLink Forums - All Oracle Employees follow the Oracle Code of Conduct, which requires all Oracle Employees to treat everyone with respect and dignity. Many Oracle employees on MetaLink (including Melissa Holman, Carlos Sierra, Reem Munakash, Ken Robinson, just to name a few) have a long-standing reputation for providing professional, high-quality Oracle information.
SearchOracle.com's "Ask the Experts" - A great source of reliable expert tips, techniques and real-world advice on Oracle technical issues from verifiable experts. You can peruse the resumes of these many of their Oracle experts and evaluate their credibility for yourself.
Oracle DBA Forum - This is a forum where Mike Ault, Bipul Kumar, Robert Freeman, David Aldridge, Edward Stoever and many other credible professionals help answer Oracle technical issues. Oracle-l - Moderated by Oracle author Steve Adams, Oracle-l (an e-mail list, not a forum per se) has huge volumes of highly technical Oracle information, and most Oracle-l members behave professionally and are tolerant towards beginner questions.
Conclusion
The Latin phrase "caveat emptor" applies here, and it is your responsibility to ensure that the source of your Oracle information is reliable and credible. We have seen the issues with verifying the background of self-proclaimed Oracle Experts and Oracle Scientists and we have seen the hazards of relying on Oracle information in some online forums. We have also examined the issue of a formal education and looked at the questionable value of a book being labeled
"Officially Authorized by Oracle Corporation."

In sum, if you are planning on listening to Oracle advice on the web, it's your responsibility to always take a minute to check out the credibility of anyone who proclaims themselves an Oracle Expert or Oracle Scientist.

Note to readers: I've tried to keep this discussion fair and impartial, and SearchOracle invites your feedback. But please, all responses should be dignified and respectful, no matter how strongly you may feel about these issues.

About the author

Donald K. Burleson thinks that he is an Oracle Expert and he has over 20 year of full-time DBA experience. Many of the topics in this article are addressed in his and Stephen Andert's book Web stalkers: Protect yourself from Internet criminals & psychopaths (Rampant TechPress). Received on Wed Apr 27 2005 - 18:06:21 CDT