Voice of the DBA

Category: Blog

  • Find the Hidden Lego Steve at the Summit

    I’m part of a Redgate promotion at the PASS Data Community Summit. They ordered some Lego Steve’s, which will be available at the booth.

    2022-11-10 14_40_49-PASS 2022 Keynote story board.pptx and 11 more pages - Personal - Microsoft​ Edg

    You can post some photos with the little Lego Steve, or with me, under #LegoSteveAtSummit and enter a contest.

    However, I heard they’re also having fun by printing some little Lego Steve’s around the convention center and in talks or online. In all, I’ve got a list of 8 places.

    I’ll be around at the prize drawing Friday, and if anyone gets a list of 8, or even 7, bring it to me. I’ll have a few prizes, though not unlimited, so come by to collect something.

  • Daily Coping 16 Nov 2022

    Today’s coping tip is to change your normal routine today and notice how you feel.

    I am a person who likes a routine. While I travel a lot and engage in different things, I still like a routine of sorts, even on the road. I get a little stressed (sometimes a lot) when I lose control of my routine.

    My normal routine is often to wake up and eat early, then start my day with work, meetings, etc. That’s been what I’ve done for years.

    I’m going to switch a bit and try to do some work or workouts before I eat. This year has been a year of working on my diet, learning to be better, and more importantly, lose weight. It’s worked well, but I want to try something new.

    For the next week or two I want to get up and go to the gym, or go to work, without eating at first. I’m seeing if a bit of light fasting helps or changes my view. I’ll have water, or black coffee if I work, but no food for a couple hours.

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQL Server Central newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

  • Daily Coping 15 Nov 2022

    Today’s coping tip is to sign up to try a new activity, course, or community.

    I somewhat did this early in the fall by choosing to go through the Head Coach certification for volleyball. While I’ve been in and out of it, November is normally when I begin coaching, but we’ve slowed things this year. This means I’ve had more time to go through a formal set of topics, growing my knowledge.

    I’ve considered adding something else, but I also know that coping means I need to take care of myself. I’m quite busy now, so I won’t add anything else for the time being.

    I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQL Server Central newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.

  • The Importance of New Speakers–#NewStarNovember

    Many of us have learned how to research and get new information online. I certainly think the written word, whether from formal articles at places like SQL Server Central or from an individual’s blog, is very important to many of us looking to learn and grow. Or just solve problems at work. Sometimes we just need a little help understanding things.

    Many of us read a lot, but there is something special when we get together in groups at an event like a SQL Saturday or larger conference. There is energy and excitement, inspiration, and engagement that is hard to replicate online or in the written word. Especially during these times when the COVID-19 pandemic separated many of us from regular gatherings with others.

    We’ve had an amazing community, but lots of us are getting older. The people who taught me SQL Server, and many of whom have run user groups and organized SQL Saturdays will move on in their lives or retire. I’ve already seen plenty of people lose their energy or get busy with other parts of their lives during the pandemic.

    While we’ve had no shortage of speakers, I think we need to grow more for the future. I also want to get a more diverse group of speakers, not because we need more women or other minorities for some political purpose. I want more diversity of speakers because people with different experience and different frames of reference approach problems differently.

    I hope that many more of you consider giving a talk. I hope that some of those that do will love it and continue to do it more in the future. I’m also hoping we do see more SQL Saturday events come back in the future as these are a great way to encourage and support new speakers.

    Part of a Series of #NewStarNovember posts. If you want to help promote new speakers, consider writing a post as well. Some ideas at the New Stars of Data.