Free Virtual Event: Mental Health and Awareness Day on May 7th
I’ll be giving a 10 minute lightning talk at the upcoming Mental Health and Wellness day event on May 7, 2021, hosted by the Data Platform WIT group.
Ten Ideas to Improve Online Tech Conferences
Amid the global pandemic, online tech conferences have had a natural surge in popularity. I’ve attended quite a few of these in 2020 across several technical areas (database tech, DevOps, privacy, tech research). The conferences have been both large and small, both free and paid, and have been held across a few different regions and time zones.
Coping with the Pandemic (T-SQL Tuesday #132)
This post is part of the monthly TSQLTuesday blog event. This month’s topic is from Taiob Ali.
Down Tools Week 2020 (10 minute video/podcast episode)
It’s Down Tools Week at Redgate.
In this episode, I share what “Down Tools Week” is, what I’m working on this week, and why I think it’s a terrific experience for fostering creativity, innovation, and teamwork. In closing I share some thoughts on variations of this kind of project which you might use in your own organization.
Common Antipatterns in Database Development (28 minute video/podcast episode)
Many people use entrenched processes for database development that have been in place so long that it’s hard to imagine doing it any other way. In this episode, I share three things that should NOT be normal for database development– but which are incredibly common.
Everything I Never Wanted to Know About Collation (14 minute video/podcast episode)
I’m not an expert on collation in SQL Server, but there are a few important facts which I’ve had to learn the hard way. In this episode I share the basics, along with helpful resources to learn more.
How to Spell and Capitalize tempdb for SQL Server
No matter what I write in this post, some of y’all are going to tell me I’m wrong. That’s inevitable, because I’m writing about tempdb: a database so complex and mysterious in SQL Server, that even the spelling and capitalization of the database name is a topic of great disagreement. Note: nearly everyone has been inconsistent about this You might think, “This is easy, just check Microsoft’s documentation to find the answer.
The Manager Guide to Git Training for DBAs - Video and Podcast
Learning Git can be daunting for DBAs. In this 20 minute episode, I discuss why learning a VCS is necessary for DBAs, then give three tips on scoping your project, choosing the right tools, and making sure the project is successful.
Thoughts as Pride Month 2020 Comes to a Close
I’ve begun working on developing a couple of small habits this month, thanks largely to Andy Mallon’s helpful advocacy.
New Free Course: The Dirty Secrets of NOLOCK
I’m excited to begin moving over courses from SQL Workbooks and making the material available here. The first course up for grabs is The Dirty Secrets of NOLOCK.