Re: pre-FAQ

"Dawn M. Wolthuis" <dwolt_at_tincat-group.comREMOVE> wrote in message news:cj9vp9$vof$1_at_news.netins.net...
> "Marshall Spight" <mspight_at_dnai.com> wrote in message
> news:lxO5d.118118$MQ5.95552_at_attbi_s52...
> > "mAsterdam" <mAsterdam_at_vrijdag.org> wrote in message
> news:4157acd6$0$48933$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl...
> >
> > > > Q: What do we mean by "database"?
> >
> > I don't think you're going to improve on "a database is a collection
> > of facts." I would also reference "structure, integrity, manipulation"
> > because that's darn good too.
> >
> > Hey, how about this one?
> >
> > Q: Is a database just an alternate way of having persistent data, like
> > a structured file system?
> >
> > A: NO! Persistence is neither necessary nor sufficient for a database
> > management system. DBMSs provide "structure, integrity, and manipulation"
> > of databases.
>
> Are you confusing "database" with "database management system" Marshall?

No. What made you think so?

> Perhaps a question about whether this forum is only about DBMS's or all
> databases? (The latter would be the answer, I would think).

I don't understand your objection. If we stick to a strict interpretation of the terms "database" and "dbms," as your comment seems to invite, then I would say we *don't* want to discuss databases, but the management thereof. Otherwise it would be as if we had a newsgroup on library science, and some guy came in and wanted to discuss some book he'd just read.

> > > > Q: What do we mean by "theory"?
> >
> > I would certainly like to have a better definition for this word myself.
> >
>
> It is one of those terms that is heavily overloaded. I would think we would
> want to have the umbrella opened wide for this term as we have for
> "database". We could limit it to "mathematical theories" but that would
> unnecessarily leave out a significant number of the current topics.

There are two senses of the word "theory" as it is commonly used: 1) a formal system of thought
2) a conjucture, a wild-assed guess

From what I can tell, most people can't tell the two meanings apart. The term as it is used in this newsgroup name is the first sense.

Marshall Received on Tue Sep 28 2004 - 08:28:25 CEST