Re: What is a good blocksize to use.

Karsten Farell wrote:

> While I agree in principle (students will not learn if we do everything
> for them), I see far too many put-downs, rather than helpful guidance
> when someone is suspected of being a student. My mother taught me that
> when I don't know for sure, to assume the best about people, not to
> assume they are just a bunch of lazy, good-for-nothing students looking
> for the easy way out. Maybe in an ideal world, those kind of students
> would be found out and their message never get posted.
>
> I would hate to think that if I asked a question, giving a hypothetical
> table (since mose people would have to know a lot more about the
> industry I'm in to understand what kind of data I store in my
> Member_Custom_Fields table) ... well, you get my point. I might post a
> message using something more familiar - maybe a Courses table - and have
> everyone assume I'm just a free-loading student. Though I'd give up all
> my Oracle DBA experience to be that young again, it wouldn't be fair to
> assume I was *only* hoping for someone to do my homework.
>
> And BTW, even with 15 years as an Oracle DBA, I don't think I yet know
> the 50% you implied. :) But hey, I do know FORTRAN and COBOL, though it
> was in a previous lifetime (1966+) as a developer.
>
> Daniel Morgan wrote:
> > Karsten Farell wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Though I'm not sure why questions from students are less important than
> >>those from us "paid professionals," I think the answer to this question
> >>would require a rather lengthly response. My performance tuning book
> >>devotes quite a few pages to this very discussion. My suggestion is to
> >>head over to your local bookstore and buy a book on Oracle performance
> >>issues.
> >>
> >
> >
> > They are not less important. But that said ... students are not helped by
> > handing them the complete answer, gift wrapped, with a ribbon and a
> > Hallmark card.
> >
> > I think pointers to the right direction are appropriate.
> > I think pointers to their textbook are appropriate.
> > I think pointers to web sites containing the answer are appropriate.
> >
> > But I really wouldn't want one of my students being able to take home a
> > mid-term or final and then get the likes of you, or Sybrand, or Tom, or
> > Howard, or Richard, etc. handing them the answers.
> >
> > It cheats them out of an Oracle education. Of which 50% is what you know
> > and 50% is knowing how to find the answer because you can't know
> > everything.
> >
> > Daniel Morgan
> >

The issue of whether a response is a put down is subject to interpretation ... they are not intended that way. Though I must confess that many students, these days, seem to possess no moral inhibitions with respect to cheating. But still no put down is intended.

Rather ... hopefully ... they are being encouraged to at least do some work and then post it for us to review.

I would rather see someone post this:

I wrote this SQL statement and can't make it work:

SELECT field1, field2, field3
FROM mytable, yourtable

Why doesn't it work. Then see a table layout, some sample data, and a request that someone provide them the answer. Lets be honest here ... most of the questions are so basic that you can't really provide much of a sample without providing the entire answer.

BTW: I started with Fortran 4 ... went to COBOL ... and now Oracle ... so where are 'we' going next?

Daniel Morgan
http://www.extension.washington.edu/extinfo/certprog/oad/oad_crs.asp Received on Wed Sep 25 2002 - 11:24:25 CDT