Re: Warning about null and open question to Oracle

In article <3smbsv$r69_at_newsbf02.news.aol.com>, barberl_at_aol.com says...

>>My advice to those interested in trying to learn nulls: Master the
>>relational theory. To those who think they've got a better idea: Maybe.
>>But unless you know the 25 year history of relational theory, you probably
>>are suggesting nothing new...
>
>So I assume Mr. Jamieson that new thought on any 25 year old subject is
>foolishness. I am glad that the writers of computer languages did not
>feel that way since we would all be discussing COBOL here and not ORACLE.
>Without discussion, no new ideas will appear. Even if some of the ideas
>were invented by someone else, the fact that the ANSI standard keeps
>changing says there is room for discussion and change. In short, Tom, you
>are way out of line.
>
>Loyal Barber
>barberl_at_aol.com

If the truth hurts, I make no apology. I only hope it spurs you to act. Indeed, new thought is not foolishness. What is foolish, is the pretense of new thought, when the existing literature has quite obviously not been examined. What I witnessed on this thread, was a feeble attempt to turn base metal into gold and silver.

Your analogy to COBOL does not hold. The relational theory has developed rather well over the last 25 years, precisely because new ideas have been built on the old, rather than in ignorance of them. Your insinuation that the the relational model has been sitting on a pompous throne for a quarter of a century, yelling "Off with their heads!" to anyone with a new idea, reveals your unfamiliarity with it.

If you folks were in middle school, I would be more understanding and forgiving. But most of you are probably making a decent living and would try to pass yourselves off as professional. In the medical world, the term for that is QUACK. "I think AIDS is spread by casual contact." "No, it's a STD". "Anyone who gets AIDS deserves it". If a bunch of doctors where holding court in such fashion, it would be hilarious. Pay attention here: I'm not talking about this thread or newsgroup per se. I'm talking about how seriously you take your career! Received on Tue Jun 27 1995 - 00:00:00 CEST