Reed Me : SQL Heroes

Oh, snap! Survey sez SQL Server community rulez?!

reedme — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:03:49 GMT

OK, I'll admit it. I'm always very behind in reading industry blogs, rags, whatever. And I'm biased. Heh. OTH, Sean McCown can hardly be called biased toward Microsoft... so when he and I agree on something, I'm glad that he's come around to see The Truth™. Hee-hee!

(No, I don't normally talk like that. I don't even know for sure what "oh, snap!" means. It just seemed like a funny thing to say. If I offended anybody, I'm only sorry that it was accidental. ;-)

Tom's blog is what lead me to Sean's (although I'd heard other people discussing it - yes, Microsoft pays attention to the World Outside Redmond™): The real difference between SQL Server and Oracle, in 2 parts (Tom Sullivan)

[Yes, I know I need to stop working and read more blogs. I know. I've only got ~6,000 unread email in my inbox. My Xbox misses me, too.]

Since a big part of my job description is continuing to build and expand the SQL Server community that we're talking about, I'm glad that other people agree that what we (all of us, including YOU) have already created in that community ROCKS!! It's not perfect by any means, but like democracy, it sure [censored]s less than all of the alternatives. Heh.

Part 1 is cool. Thanks for saying nice things about us, Sean! (We didn't even have to pay him to say them. Ha-ha.)

The answer is simple: information. Microsoft has built such a strong community and its members are committed to helping each other. There are so many forums out there you just don't have time to go to them all. And one of the most amazing things I've found is that the MSDN forums are actually sharked by Microsoft's own PSS and dev teams. You just can't get any better than that. You've got both the guys on the support team, and the guys who actually write the code helping you with your problem. You've got MVPs out there writing new and exciting books like crazy. They're really giving up all the secrets on how SQL works, and what you can do with it.
The real difference between SQL Server and Oracle (Sean McCown)

Part 2 is just funny. Although I have to wonder why Sean was surprised at the reaction... The interwebs being what they are, the "overwhelming" response to anything the smells like a troll is usually painful.

Because while I don't know the research skills of everyone who wrote me, I do know my own. I research things for a living basically. And if I've had problems finding some of these resources, then I know others have too.
Oracle's community: part 2 (Sean McCown)

A lot of people think that SQL Server info is hard to find, so I can only imagine how hard it is to find Oracle headlight fluid... We're always working on ways to make SQL Server info easier to find.

Ultimately, though, the community is YOU. You, the SQL Heroes™ are the ones who made it a reality. We've still got a lot of work to do, so this is no time to be resting on our laurels. Which reminds, me? Where is YOUR contest entry? Hrm?

Open Source Day @ Microsoft (tomorrow)

reedme — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:05:57 GMT

Actually, every day is an open source day for me @ Microsoft (since that's what I do -- publish and promote open source SQL Server projects), but tomorrow is a special all open, all source, all day day for us.

Tomorrow the bonus for me is being able to sit back and watch for most of the day while the Microsoft Conference Center hosts an all day series of presentations by Other People™.

I'll be the guy wearing the SQL Heroes T-shirt. Feel free to say, "Howdy."

[Yes, Steve (all of the Steves), I'm still working on MDDE, SQL Server Gadgets, updated AdventureWorks installers and 19-zillion other things that you want updated on CodePlex. There're only three of us on this little team. Thank you for your patience.]

Be there. Do that. Get the T-shirt.

reedme — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:08:44 GMT

Since I've never been to an MVP Global Summit, Tech*Ed or the SQL PASS summit, I'm looking forward to going this year. Since I will have T-shirts, I'm hoping that I won't have to be lonely. Heh.

SQL Heroes : The T-shirts have arrived.

If you don't have a clue about what kind of project to start, keep an eye on the SQL Heroes blog! Although I will *not* be blogging about actual contest entries until the Contest Period™ is over, I will be blogging about Community Projects™ that *I* want to see.

If you've got a great contest idea that you want to "protect" and you haven't signed up for the contest yet... you'd better get started... or I might "accidentally" blog your great idea for all the world to see. Heh.

Calling all SQL Heroes!

reedme — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:51:33 GMT

I'm hoping that I can keep my blogs straight, but for the duration of the contest, I'll be blogging in two places: here and there.

Here will be all the normal stuff you don't read anyway, and over there is your chance to convince me to give you a Windows Home Server. (Well, convince me and the other SQL Ranger judges, and the SQL Server community at large.)

In case you haven't heard, the SQL Heroes Blog is where the Official Contest Rules™ live. Check it out. If you get a chance to come to the MVP Global Summit next month or Tech*Ed-Developer this summer, come introduce yourself. I might even have a SQL Heroes T-shirt for you!