Re: Poll: Expert user vs. Internals Expert

I believe lot of database practitionners have a similar dilemna...Let's put it this way...

If you want to get rich and famous in current system of IT industry then being ignorant of relational theory is a bliss as the ideas conditionning your interactions with clients and other IT professional will be trendy and popular thanks to your ignorance and acceptance of things being the way they are and not the way they should be...In such direction, mastering a specific (non relational) implementation (ORACLE, DB2, SQL Server) will make you gain larger support in IT audiences no matter how correct are the statements you will be making ...

On the other hand, if you want to achieve a goal such as "I really would like to understand what I am doing" or "how come the problems I face everyday are always the same" then apply this knowledge to guide smarter choices on current implementations, education relationnal theory is the key...Only problem, you will be going downstream of current trends.

The fact that one or the other is important really depends on what you are seeking...If you believe that popularity is important to make you successfull in your job then "learn ORACLE in 21 days" type of approaches are sufficient to fulfill this objectif ....If you believe that knowledge is important to gain you self esteem and confidence you are doing data management by choice and not by circumstances then you must educate yourself first...

Another way you may ask this question is : Why am I doing databases at the first place ? Do I like the concepts behind what I do everyday? Did I choose this job or did it choose me ? Sorry no obvious answer to this one, just additional questions...

Hope this helps...

Hope this helps... Received on Wed May 24 2006 - 10:05:26 CEST