So, that’s another SQLBits event over. I say ‘another’, but really it’s my first one – there have been seven others before this that I have not attended (to my eternal shame).
There were some great sessions delivered by some great people, sharing experiences and chatting with friends old and new.
Look at me – I’ve gone all mushy over this. I’m genuinely sad to be leaving what has been touted as Europe’s Premier SQL Server Community Event, but at the same time I’m happy that the community is as strong as it is, and I’ll move heaven and earth to get to another one.
From all the excellent sessions I’ve attended, from the training day to the community day, there’s two stand out things as ‘take-aways’ for me.
Take-away #1: Really think about what it is that you’re trying to do, and learn from your previous missteps. The product stack that is SQL Server really CAN do anything, and do it well. As long as you understand the fundamentals, you can’t go far wrong by applying a little common sense and a whole load of real-world experience to it.
Take-away #2: Talk. To anyone who wants to listen. Or even (like this blog) to yourself. You’ll be amazed what people have to offer, even if it’s just an amusing story about making Bloody Marys with ketchup (True story – ask me about this if we ever meet up). I guess that’s something we could all do a bit more in our non-SQL lives as well.
Someone I know suggested that DBAs should be classed as a social minority, but really we’re all just people who happen to be interested in data, and, whilst we’re definitely in a very small minority, that doesn’t mean we’re not humans first and foremost.
That’s why community events like SQLBits are so important – they satisfy the inner geek, and remind us that we all just need a little validation every once in a while. A shared experience of the world, if you will.
There’s a reason this post contains the word ‘philosophy’ as well. Sure, there’s the bit about being a better person and being nice to everyone (including developers), but the word comes from the greek for ‘Lover of Knowledge’, and I certainly love the knowledge (geek and non-geek) I got here.
And that’s certainly something worth talking about.
Back soon….
The Modern Dataist 