Re: OT Bull-fight avoidance (was: Why all the max length constraints?)

mAsterdam wrote:
> dawn wrote:
> > If people want to tell me how ignorant I am, I don't
> > mind agreeing.

Are you honestly sure about that?

> > I have anecdotal, but not scientific, evidence that men
> > are less inclined to admit ignorance or even to show it
> > with their questions.

Even if that generalization were true (I'm a man and /readily/ admit ignorance and accept superior reasoning when it is demonstrated), how is it relevant to this discussion? Why do you keep bringing up irrelevant facts such as your gender, the house your daughter owns, the awards the other received, etc? Do you /want/ us to pigeonhole you as an irrational emotional hormonal woman?

> > Do you have an example of something that I have said I
> > do not know that EVERY person who has been in the
> > software development profession for a
> > quarter of a century does know or should know?

Yes, this comes to mind:

> > I can't think of any reason why MV systems would be
> > faster if there were max length constraints in the DBMS,
> > for example.

The performance advantages of size constraints is fundamental. I think any computer science curriculum would teach this. And thus isn't this something EVERY software development professional should know? And if you did miss this fundamental concept, no problem. Just admit it. Live up to your "I don't mind agreeing" claim. So you missed a core concept, no problem, it happens. It's good that you can pick it up here and now. Admit and accept your ignorance so you learn and move on. It is cathartic, it feels good, try it.

> It takes more stamina to show ignorance in this newsgroup
> now, than it did say a year ago. I have recently refrained
> from asking questions revealing ignorance because of
> anticipated reactions here - even when it would just be
> about exact wording.

Strange, not my experience here at all. I dropped by a few weeks ago, readily admitted I was ignorant, participated a little, asked some questions, and was treated VERY well. When asking database related questions I tried to do so with humility and was not vociferous. Could this have been a factor in my treatment?

Perhaps your hesitancy has more to do with personal pride? If so you could create an alternate google account (I would go for "y" to match up with "x") and post questions using that account. Perhaps you will discover good treatment and relax enough to post questions from you main account.

• Keith --