I recently received emails which provide justification for our “against the grain” efforts, including this web site. For all those who don’t seem to comprehend the value of going against the grain, here it is.

 

 

From: Gianluca Hotz

To: Editor

Date: 13 Apr 2004

 

My personal experience is like that of many (most?) database practitioners who couldn't complete a proper education in the field and became product specialists (in my case, MS SQL Server).

 

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure to attend the two sessions you delivered at the PASS conference in Denver and they opened my eyes.

 

I started reading your book and ended up reading several books from Date and Darwen and, although I'm sure I still have a lot to learn, they changed completely my way of thinking about databases (and of doing training, even if the context of a course focused on a SQL product).

 

The more I read, thinking also of the articles on your web site and at several posts in the comp.databases.theory newsgroup, the more I realize how the whole IT field needs to be educated about relational technology.

 

 

There is a rather sad irony to this story, which applies to almost all industry conferences. Shortly after the PASS Denver conference that Gianluca refers to, I published On Speaker Selection Criteria: Something Rotten in Denmark. The reader is invited to draw her/his own conclusion.

 

 

Posted 07/02/04