Re: Total Cost of Ownership

"Eric Kaun" <ekaun_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message news:yyCec.7630$gd5.6662_at_newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...
> "Laconic2" <laconic2_at_comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:192dnaBpHOqHruTdRVn-jg_at_comcast.com...
>
> OK, I'll be contrary (again). How can the database possibly preserve
value?
> Presumably the value of data depends mostly on its correctness - its
> correspondence with some other state (e.g. "the real world", rather a
subset
> of it). If the real world doesn't change, the data still "has value." But
> since a database knows only what you tell it, it needs something else to
> measure the acceptability of the data it's given.
>

If data is an asset, then preserving its value has value. If data is not an asset, then we are all wasting our time.

There are a lot of factors that go into the value of data. Correctness is very important, but is far from the only thing. Currency and relevance are two other factors. You already mentioned currency in another post. If you can't keep the data current, its value can diminish, depending on what the data is used for. If you can't keep the data relevant, when the world changes, then you can't maintain its value.

> Availability depends on the DBMS, not the database - or by database do you
> mean DBMS?

I'm starting from a data-centric view of things. The DBMS exists to help the database fulfill its purpose, not the other way around. Received on Tue Apr 13 2004 - 05:26:16 CEST