Re: More on identifiers

Roy Hann wrote:
...
> You do not have to design a database that does magic. If the users
> can't formulate sensible assertions to put in the database that is their
> problem. If they've found a way to make sensible assertions, do what
> they do.
>
> This is not a database problem.
> ...

That's right. Iliteracy is a big problem in many other fields too and is spreading to levels that were unheard of several generations ago. The British Prime Minister has suggested a commisioner be established to clear MPs' expenses, it seems he thinks his expense scandal is a technical proglem but it's clear he is no good at reading, ie., seeing, the actual requirement to be satisfied, in this case both the written rules and the readers are faulty. Technocrats usually don't see through the phony requirements that should be ignored, which is one reason why most shouldn't be allowed to assess user db requirements, let alone become PM. .

At a public session, one member of Vancouver city council (all of whom had presented "accomplished" resumes at election time) obstructed a vote on a staff report, she made the whole council debate whether 'refer' means 'defer'. After an hour it was clear to viewers that several other councillors had also suffered from inferior primary educations.

The db world is not alone. In some larger countries, it has become almost a truism that a majority of cabinet officiers will be effectively illiterate as well as much of the bureaucracy. Received on Fri Jun 05 2009 - 17:52:02 CEST