Tag: misc

In some sense I hate to do this. 2020 was a black swan event for the world, with a pandemic that caused changes all across the world in ways that many of us might never have thought possible.

For the data platform, perhaps one of the more startling changes was the demise of PASS. This organization has been a part of my life for the last 20 years, and while I’ve had my disagreements, I think they have brought the SQL Server and related communities closer than they might otherwise have been. I hope that any of you that have had dealings with PASS or been to an event will wish the best for the staff at HQ. Anika, Audrey, Craig, Erick, Leeza, Marcella, and others have really helped the community over the years, and I hope I get to see them in the future.

We didn’t get a new version of SQL Server, though we got a number of cumulative updates. We also had quite a few updates to their tools, SSMS and ADS. The latest releases included a welcome change. You can now avoid installing ADS with SSMS if you run the installation from the command line. This was something requested and voted on by many people. Glad Microsoft is listening.

The other big thing that changed for many of us was the way we work. Our work environments dramatically changed, in a way that many managers would not have thought could be effective. Many organizations transitioned to remote work in March or April of 2020 and are still embracing the format. A few large tech companies will give people the option to work from home forever, though forever might be changed at some point. Some, like Microsoft, have picked dates next year, which I think is good. Choosing June or July makes sense, as it gives some stability for those with children.

At Redgate we went from requiring most people to be in the office to embracing a remote-first approach from this time onward. Lots of tech professionals have known this was possible, but haven’t had the chance until the pandemic forced this upon us. I’ve seen many people and groups thrive, which shows us that the office might not be quite as important as we thought. We also changed our attitude from coping with this change to thriving under this new paradigm. I don’t know what this will mean, and I certainly look forward to the chance to go back to Cambridge, but I’m not sure when that will be possible.

From the database perspective, much of 2020 felt somewhat like a blur. We had breaches, we had minor patches and changes. No big changes, no dramatic evolution of how we work with data, though I know all the cloud vendors would point to all the software releases they’ve during the year. I am hoping that 2021 starts to feel more normal, even if the pandemic continues to drag us along in the same manner. At least, I hope I adjust more.

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I’ve been learning to play All I Want for Christmas this fall, hoping to have some fun with the family during the holiday. Hopefully it’s a festive, fun time of year for many of you out there, despite the challenges of this pandemic year. As I was listening to the words, I thought about what I’d want this year.

2020 has been disruptive to me, as someone that often travels and meets lots of people. Trying to comply with regulations, as well as stay safe, has meant parts of my job have changed this year. One thing that hasn’t changed is that I still work most of the time in my home office, which is a change that many of you got to experience this year. I wasn’t sure how people would cope, but most of the friends and colleagues I speak with have enjoyed working at home.

While I do think the world of work for technology people has likely changed, I also suspect that some of you won’t get to keep working at home forever. There are certainly managers that don’t like this format, though I hope this year has opened their eyes to understanding just how productive people can be, even when not visually supervised.

One of my wishes for Christmas is that we find a way to hold some live events next year, with speakers and attendees getting to be in the same room, network, and shake hands. I know this won’t happen soon, but I’d happily skip other presents if this would come true sometime in 2021.

I suspect that many people this year have varied wishes for this holiday season, mostly for the health and well-being of their families, but perhaps some other more tangible hopes as well. In any case, I wish you joyous celebrations and smiles with loved ones.

Steve Jones

It’s traditionally Black Friday in the US today, with big sales kicking off the Christmas season. This year, many companies have taken different approaches, with the pandemic and separation. Plenty of online training from SQL experts has been on sale and available, and there are certainly other deals to be had.

I recently ran across a list on 10 tech holiday gifts that will delight your employees. I don’t know that I want any of these, and some of these are quite extravagant for an employee gift. At least, it feels that way to me.

Today, I’m wondering if there is something you wish your employer would give you this holiday season, other than a bonus. Is there some tech gift that you’d appreciate?

I used to manage technical people. At different times in my career, I’ve had different size teams, but I always made it a point to give a small gift at Christmas to my staff. I appreciated their efforts and work, and I felt it was important to let them know. I never gave big gifts, usually setting a limit of US$20-25 per person. With some teams as large as 12, this wasn’t inexpensive.

I did make an effort to think about each person, and get something slightly tailored to them. Usually I had some theme, and people got similar gifts, but with a bit of personalization. These days, I don’t manage people, but I do help my wife get gifts together for her clients.

Let me know today if you think there is anything you’d like, and feel free to forward this to your management. Maybe they’ll take the hint.

Steve Jones

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Today is Thanksgiving in the US. I wrote a bit yesterday about my thanks at work, but today I want to just say that I’m grateful my family is healthy and we can mostly be together. My oldest is in Spain, and we’re all thinking of him and missing him, but we’re also happy he’s on an adventure in life for the next year.

Please remember those that are important to you today, whether it’s a holiday for you or not.

Life is short. Appreciate the time and people you have while you can.

Happy Thanksgiving.