Re: In an RDBMS, what does "Data" mean?

In message <40bb0d26$0$559$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl>, mAsterdam <mAsterdam_at_vrijdag.org> writes
>Alfredo Novoa wrote:
>
>>>>... It was mathematically proven that it is better than the graph
>>>>based approaches.
>>>
>> mAsterdam wrote:
>>>This is a very strange statement...
>> This is a very basic knowledge taught in every serious database
>>introductory course.
>
>The statement is made in just about every database
>course, without demonstrating it - that's exactly
>what I think is strange about it. If it's proven
>why not give or at least reference the proof?
>The way it is put, it is propaganda, not basic
>knowledge.
>
>>> ... - Better at what?
>> Simplicity
>
>This reduces the statement to
>"It was mathematically proven that it is simpler
>than the graph based approaches." and leaves the
>judgement to the reader/student. An improvement,
>but it still leaves the questions unanswered:
>simpler at what? etc.

And Occam's Razor (the Einstein version iirc) says "make things as simple as possible, BUT NO SIMPLER".

For example, Newtonian Mechanics is a damn sight simpler than General Relativity. But precisely *because* it is simpler, it is also a hell of a lot more dangerous, because it is *too* simple, and more prone to screw-ups.

Simplicity - if carried too far - is lethal.

Cheers,
Wol

-- 
Anthony W. Youngman - wol at thewolery dot demon dot co dot uk
HEX wondered how much he should tell the Wizards. He felt it would not be a
good idea to burden them with too much input. Hex always thought of his reports
as Lies-to-People.
The Science of Discworld : (c) Terry Pratchett 1999