Semi-OT: Database for "average" users

billt-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org billt-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org
Mon May 2 18:26:18 UTC 2005


On Mon, May 02, 2005 at 01:28:24PM -0400, phil wrote:
> On May 2, 2005, at 1:11 PM, JoeHill wrote:
> 
> >> The windows (and especially MAC) world has the
> >> philosophy of having everything and the kitchen sink into one 
> >> product. Neither
> >> side is right or wrong its a matter of preference. I prefer to be 
> >> able too
> >> control what I put into my systems.
> >
> > Don't know much about DB, but doesn't anyone who 'knows better' share 
> > this same
> > preference? Have we not seen the sometimes disastrous results of 
> > putting out a
> > software product with too much bloat built in (ie. Win)?
> 
> If non-techie adoption is considered desirable, there does have to be 
> some compromise with the ease-of-use concept.  

At the OS level I agree, and the many distributions that try to package everything are an example of that, but a Database is not the OS. In fact a database isn't a user application, it is part of the infrastructure of an application. No one seriously believes that people need to know how a file system works to use the filemanager, but there are a lot of file systems that have never taken off because they are too complicated for the average user to use. The Andrew File System comes to mind with its admin, group and user level ACLs at the directory, files, and volume level. This kind of complexity has its uses (and it is used) but not to normal everyday people.

The mistake people make with databases is believing that it is a user level application. Applications created on to of databases are what users look at. And when a database application fails your needs, its not the databases fault its the application developer's fault.

Bill
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