The Database Design Resource Center



Database Design Testimonials: Excellent, good, and evil remarks

I frequently get database design testimonials from my visitors to this site.

Most of them I enjoy, but some are really demanding. Some show deep skills, some just reveal a person who should never have entered into our business (Read: Completely stupid: Sorry about that, but it's true.) I have no chance of answering every message, but feedback is appreciated, all the time. Thank you, if you'll take the time, in a busy DB world.

I thought I would share some of the feedback with you. I basically get two kinds of feedback: General viewpoints on my site, and comments from my ref cursor survey.

First, a few

general database design testimonials:

Hi,

Many thanks for a detailed and informative site. In addition to learning many things about DB design, I have been more inclined to THINK more before proceeding, thanks to your particular style of writing.

People like yourself who provide this sort of support and knowledge are a credit to the internet and DB world. Thanks again.

Colin
UK

Colin, my site is written for people like you, who are able to THINK for themselves, rather than just accepting what vendors are trying to push onto you as "new and revolutionary" stuff. Thankfully, many DB people are actually very able to THINK for themselves, which makes me even more happy. Very glad you like my site.

"I've been in this business for more than 30 years, so I know a little about what this site is about. It's a great site
...
Thanks again for a great site and great information. I like the "no-nonsense" direct approach. All too often, on many sites, it's necessary to wade through a lot of unnecessary stuff to get to the real "meat" of a particular topic.
...
At any rate, again, I'm impressed with your work."

Pete
USA

Thank you, Pete. Good to see that a fellow old-timer enjoys it. I've been in this business for 31 years myself.

"I love your method of teaching and I will like to have the information so I can wire the money to your bank to purchase your ebooks Thanks!"

Desmond
Trinidad and Tobago



Can't do that, Desmond; I use secure ClickBank payment as my sole payment method. But the thought of sending me money is really good...

"Thank you for the Database Glossary list. You've saved me a tremendous amount of time by providing the list."

S. Paige, USA



Thank you. Yes, it is good to get reasonable explanations on difficult subjects.

"I am working as a software engineer in *****.First of all I thank for creating such a useful site for the IT people. I am invloved in database designing for a project now so After i reached ur site I feel a moral support. Hope it continues. Bye. Keep in touch with me."

Premanand
India



Absolutely. Just sign up for my free newsletter. You will then also get download access to my free ebook on Entity Relationship Modeling Principles. It's a special page where I also share drafts for new things to come with my subscribers. Currently, I am working on an ebook on primary keys.

"I simply love your little diagram of a univeral database design on your home page. Brilliant:-) Who said Scandinavians lack a sense of humour! I laughed out loud. I have bookmarked your site and intend to go through it in fine detail. Thanks for doing it. (No reply needed, I just wanted to show some appreciation)"

Neil
Belgium



Thanks, Neil. I enjoyed writing it. Actually, the diagram is clickable and it sends you into The Universe.

"Hello, I am a faculty member at **** College in **** and I teach a Beginning Oracle PL/SQL course. I was hoping that you would not mind if I posted a link to your site for my students. Please let me know if this is ok. Thank You,"

Tina
USA



Are you crazy? Free publicity? Thank you, ma'm!

"First, I want to express my thanks for your blog articles on database development and design. I've been an Oracle DBA for 10 years (vs. 6.0.37 - 9i r2) and love to see someone write and teach good coding practices! Not only do I appreciate the teaching emphasis, but I greatly need the learning as well. I've been "stuck" pretty much with managing 3rd party packages, like Peoplesoft and Oracle ERP's, etc. As a result I don't get all the real world experiences one might tend to get with home grown applications. Do you have any advice on moving from production DBA work to developement DBA work? Prior to my entrance into DBA work, I was a Senior Principle Systems Analyst for a major bank service processor maintaining financial mainframe software packages. Thank you!"

David
USA



Thank you, David, and best of luck to you. My blog history (I had to stop it because of time constraints) can be found at ItToolbox.com.
"Hi, sorry if my questions is a little bit nervous. Which tools are you using for designing the database and can you can give some some advise on which tools i have to use? i really like this site and thanks for that."

Stephen
Unknown origin



Answer to that one: I use Oracle Designer.

"Idiot! This type of technology is far-fetched ... Try Objects ... stupid, you think that data which is related with more data is enought? Objects are related by references ... but, don not try to look for a solution with Java, Java is another sh*t like databases .. use something differente. Yo make me laught ... cross-data is an old thing (from the seconds war) in that times nazis used cards of paper to store data and to cross it, now you use hard disk and a RD engine ... the same technology ... Time to change idiot! Find the answer ..."

Full name was given, but I mercifully censored it... :-)
Solomon Islands



Having a bad day? FYI: The "seconds war" lasted from 1939 to 1945... If databases and Java are sh*t, as you explain, why can't you just use some cards of paper, as you say? I have to agree with one of your points, though: "Time to change idiot!". Now you are definitely in the driver's seat...

"Im thick so all info is helpfull."

Name censored
UK



You are not: There is an old Chinese saying:

"He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise: Follow him.
He who doesn't know, and knows that he doesn't know, is hopeful: Teach him.
He who doesn't know, and doesn't know that he doesn't know, is a fool: Avoid him."

You are definitely not in the last category: Stay tuned.

"Keep up the good work of sharing knowledge, Sir. You gifted me something of great importance to me. Thanks a lot. Marry Christmas to you. "

Vikas
India



The same to you, Vikas.

"I think it's great that you have this site,
and I hope you continue the great work. "

Dale
Australia



I will.

"I just stumbled accross your site looking for some normalization theory and I have to say it is fantastic. I have been in the database field for 10+ years and I have never before come across such a useful site. Thank you for taking the time to put this site together."

Mike
USA



Guys like you makes it worth while.

"I am in love with this site!"

Ben
Zambia



My man...

Ref cursor comments

I get quite a few comments about the two lessons I have written on how to define a ref cursor, and how to access it from Java. Not exactly database design testimonials, but more like responses to these two special lessons. Actually, both pages are ranked high in all the major search engines, so a lot of people are visiting that section every day. Here are some comments and testimonials:

"You rock! keep up the good work. I love you."

Unknown
Afghanistan/USA, actually. (He tried to trick me there :-) Osama? Is that you?



I rock? Can't wait to show this to my kids.

"Hello there, I was breaking my head to resolve some of my problems I was dealing with ref cursors. I followed your model and resolved it. Thank you very much for hosting a knowledgeble site like this...."

Leo
USA



Thank you, Leo.

"This was an excellent example. Thank you."

Jim
USA



Thank you, Jim.

"Short, concise and to the point - exactly what I was looking for."

Jensen
Ireland



Exactly what I had in mind when I wrote it.

"Its good but not in so easy language atleast not for begginers"

Ashfaq
India



I'm not sure on how to write it easier.

"It really solved my doubts about using Oracle ref cursor in Java! Thks a lot!"

Unknown
Brazil



Great! In my own company, we write everything in J2EE using ref cursors to return result sets to the Java modules. It works perfect. There will soon be more stuff on that in the Application Architecture section.

"The information is not abstract to what I needed , most of the info was hyperlinks and little info...I needed REF CURSOR and its uses"

Unknown
India



Hyperlinks? Really?

"It would have been nice to have a short note about the differences between a normal cursor and a ref cursor. Not all visitors get this page by searching after ref cursor ... Great website and ebooks. Keep up the good work ! And finish soon the ebook about primary keys. Regards,"

Georg
Germany



Like implicit/explicit cursors? Dynamic SELECT? I try to focus on the DB design side, not SW. But maybe in the future.

However: most people searching for ref cursor in Google will land on my page(s): I am ranked somewhere in Google's top 10 spots for it :-)

"Of Course, more the info better it is ... But this small eg was for all practical purposes, decent !!!! thanks"

Unknown
India



Is that all you can say? Decent? :-)

"This was exactly what I was looking for. THANK YOU!"

Unknown
USA



That's more like it. Thank YOU.

"Yes Useful. I didnt now a function can return a cursor in PL/SQL Thanks,"

Madhavan
India



Well, now you know :-) Ref cursors in packages (and packages themselves) are very powerful performance-enhancing mechanisms.

OK: Enough of those database design testimonials and comments, good or evil. But it was great fun reading through them, though. And be warned: New database design testimonials may be added at any time. Maybe yours? :-)

I just wanted to share some of the opinions I have received. As you can tell, many of them are very positive. However, I get quite a few that I cannot please: This site is not a programming manual, but I hope you appreciate the info on database design contained herein.

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What visitors say...

"I just stumbled accross your site looking for some normalization theory and I have to say it is fantastic.

I have been in the database field for 10+ years and I have never before come across such a useful site. Thank you for taking the time to put this site together."

Mike, USA

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