Blog

SQL Server Links

Which column should go first in an index? – Gail’s SQL in the Wild blog talks about selectivity.

SQLBatman visits a Microsoft Technology Center – MTCs are cool labs scattered around the country where Microsoft staffers conduct cool exercises to help you become a better DBA and to use their products better.  If your company has a Microsoft rep, I’d highly recommend asking them where the nearest MTC is, and ask if you can visit for any upcoming SQL exercises.  If nothing else, the MTC’s seem to have really cool coffeemakers.

Converting Dates in SQL Server – Rhonda Tipton explains the CONVERT syntax for T-SQL for folks who need to convert between different date formats like MM/DD/YYYY and DD/MM/YYYY.

Two related posts from two different authors: Don’t Touch That Shrink Button and The Worst Default Setting in SQL Server – amen, brothers.  Don’t shrink your databases, and don’t let them grow in only 1mb increments.  Can I get an amen?

Cloud and Virtualization Links

Ain’t got nothin’ for ya this week.

The Junk Drawer

How to Ask a Forum Question – Jonathan gives advice.  I love the linked article entitled “Need an answer? Actually, no, you need a question!”

Why Google Employees Quit – taken from what may or may not be a legit email thread, but it’s good reading either way.  Here’s my tip: when you take a job, sit down and write yourself a long letter about why you’re taking it.  Include your rationale about why you’re accepting an offer from that company, why you’re leaving your old job, what the job market is like right now, and why you didn’t keep looking for something else.  Down the road, when you’re pissed off or disappointed in the company, pull up that letter.  It’ll remind you that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and that you made the best decision you could with the knowledge you had at the time.  I personally do this, and I’ve gone back to the letters at least once a year.  It keeps me humble (well, relatively speaking) and reminds me of the great things about my job.

Clean Up Your Mac – the Disk Inventory X tool mentioned in the article is awesome.  I cleaned up over 50gb of stuff off my laptop. The downside is that I no longer have a reason to pick up one of those slick 500gb 2.5″ drives.

20 great free WordPress 2.7 themes – I highly recommend using WordPress for your blog, and this is a great list of beautiful themes.  WordPress makes it easy to swap themes around, so if you don’t like one, you can swap right back to your old one.