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Past it?

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Topic

elwoos
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2052 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-24 : 18:29:32

There seems to be a common misconception that people above a 'certain' age are incapable of performing any sort of IT role. So I have another survey designed to indicate how much experience people have and what of and whether this appears to be age related.

1) Please indicate your age group from the following <20, 21-25,26-30,31-35,35-40,41-50, 50+
2) How long have you been with your current employer? If different how long have you been in your current role?
3) How long have you been performing the same (or similar) role to your current one?
4) After leaving full time education how many IT related jobs have you had and how many non-IT related ones?
5) How long have you been using SQL Server and what was the first version you used?
6) How long ago did you first start using SQL?
7) How many other database systems do you have a reasonable working knowledge of (e.g. Oracle, Access etc)
8) Which database systems have you used?
9) Which was the first database system you used and when?
10) What was the first computer you used and when?

If a few people answer this I will post my answers

steve

To alcohol ! The cause of - and solution to - all of life's problems

spirit1
Cybernetic Yak Master

11752 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-24 : 18:37:33

1. 24
2. current employer: 4,5 months current proffession: programmer in Visual Studio 6 and .net 5 years.
3. 5 years... see 2
4. i'm still in school :) well on the way to my degree.
5. 2000 was the first one. since 2000. but last 6 months extensivly
6. since 2000
7. worked in access, but i'd have to get to know it again.
8. sql server. just a bit of oracle.
9. visual fox pro in 1996 (summer job in high school for a month)
10. spectrum in 1987...man i started when i was 7....

post your answers...

Go with the flow & have fun! Else fight the flow

jhermiz

3564 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-24 : 18:51:03

1-> 25
2-> 3 1/2 years
3-> see 2
4-> been working in the same place
5-> only a couple years, 2k
6-> didnt you just ask this ?
7-> access, SAP
8-> see 7 include sql
9-> acc 97
10-> sp 286 samsung cant remember the year

nr
SQLTeam MVY

12543 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-24 : 20:10:23

1. 30 - you just have to get the correct base :)
2. 6 mths
3. 8 years ish - every jobs different but I tend to migrate to being a hated architect.
4. 20 ish IT related, 0 non it related
5. 10 years ish - 4.2
6. 13 years ish
7. 4 or none maybe - depends on your standards.
8. SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, Access, Foxpro, Ingres
9. Around 1980 - what did they have on IBM mainframes then?
10. Used? Sent punch cards off to a mainframe at Ipswich from school (fortran) in the 70's

>> There seems to be a common misconception that people above a 'certain' age are incapable of performing any sort of IT role.
I've never had a problem with having a choice of work (especially when I don't want it) so I guess that means I'm young.

==========================================
Cursors are useful if you don't know sql.
DTS can be used in a similar way.
Beer is not cold and it isn't fizzy.

Andraax
Aged Yak Warrior

790 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-25 : 06:37:09

1. 28
2. 2 years
3. about 5 years
4. 2 IT-related
5. 7 years, 6.5
6. 7 years ago
7. 1
8. SQL server, access, mySQL, FoxPro, oracle
9. access, about 1995
10. Commodore VIC20 don't know when :(

rockmoose
SQL Natt Alfen

3279 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-25 : 14:37:06

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past it

rockmoose

rockmoose
SQL Natt Alfen

3279 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-25 : 15:31:36

1) 35-40
2) 4
3) 4
4) 2 IT related
5) 5years, 6.5
6) 5years
7) Reasonable - well I can write SQL in most of them :)
8) SQL Server, Oracle, Access
9) Access 1998
10) IBM PC, 1984

rockmoose

gpl
Posting Yak Master

195 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-25 : 18:31:49

rrb
SQLTeam Poet Laureate

1479 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-26 : 02:32:58

3) How long have you been performing the same (or similar) role to your current one?
about 6 years

4) After leaving full time education how many IT related jobs have you had and how many non-IT related ones?
5 IT, and about 5 non-IT (do I really have to count?!)
5) How long have you been using SQL Server and what was the first version you used?
6-7 years, v6.5
6) How long ago did you first start using SQL?
1988/1989 - yes really, so about 15-16 years
7) How many other database systems do you have a reasonable working knowledge of (e.g. Oracle, Access etc)
2 - I assume you mean RDBs, otherwise 3
8) Which database systems have you used?
More than I have a "reasonable working knowledge of"! Oracle, Access, Paradox, FoxPro, MySQL - and if not just RDBs, then FastObjects and some other thing which I can't remember the name of...aah!
9) Which was the first database system you used and when?
Don't know - it was on the UNI computers back in the dark ages before electricity
10) What was the first computer you used and when?
Vic20, 1982

--
I hope that when I die someone will say of me "That guy sure owed me a lot of money"

Kristen
Test

22859 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-26 : 02:55:39

1) Please indicate your age group from the following <20, 21-25,26-30,31-35,35-40,41-50, 50+
41-50
2) How long have you been with your current employer? If different how long have you been in your current role?
26 years
3) How long have you been performing the same (or similar) role to your current one?
I run the company and program. I've been doing that for 26 years. The programming challenges have changed in that time. I've been doing SQL stuff for 10 years or so - can you pidgeon-hole me from that pls?
4) After leaving full time education how many IT related jobs have you had and how many non-IT related ones?
1,3
5) How long have you been using SQL Server and what was the first version you used?
10 years, 6.5 I think (might have been 6.0)
6) How long ago did you first start using SQL?
10 years
7) How many other database systems do you have a reasonable working knowledge of (e.g. Oracle, Access etc)
6 5 - Edit: I have now read the question!
8) Which database systems have you used?
SQLServer, Sybase, Watcom SQL Anywhere, Oracle, Access, DBase, Paradox, Our own proprietory one - long since obsoleted!
9) Which was the first database system you used and when?
Wrote my own, 1978
10) What was the first computer you used and when?
North Star Horizon (CP/M + S100 bus and about 16K of memory and 100K floppy disks!)
Ah - "Used". That was an "owned" answer. They had an ICL 1900 at college, 16K Words and 4 tape drives, and the lovely Wendy who operated it and thus got me hooked on this career

spirit1
Cybernetic Yak Master

11752 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-26 : 04:41:37

there is always a lovely wendy...

it acctually doesn't matter if it's a woman or a pet name for a computer (have seen people do that...)

Go with the flow & have fun! Else fight the flow

elwoos
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2052 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-26 : 05:08:07

Now a few people in my age range have answered (thanks Kristen and gpl - is it co-incidence we're all brits I wonder?). Here are my memories!

1) Please indicate your age group from the following <20, 21-25,26-30,31-35,35-40,41-50, 50+
41-50

2) How long have you been with your current employer? If different how long have you been in your current role?
5 years

3) How long have you been performing the same (or similar) role to your current one?
5 years but only because this role has changed so much, otherwise about 13 years

4) After leaving full time education how many IT related jobs have you had and how many non-IT related ones?
3 IT, quite a few non IT

5) How long have you been using SQL Server and what was the first version you used?
5 years, version 7

6) How long ago did you first start using SQL?
probably first started using it about 7 or 8 years ago on an occassional basis, only really started to make more use of it this year really

7) How many other database systems do you have a reasonable working knowledge of (e.g. Oracle, Access etc)
1

8) Which database systems have you used?
Access (various incarnations), Paradox! DBASE (can't remember which version), SQL Server 7, Approach

9) Which was the first database system you used and when?
DBASE - mid 1980's

10) What was the first computer you used and when?
It was a minicomputer that they tried to make me program PASCAL on, then used a mainframe that required punch cards, had teletypes on (and more importantly allowed me to play MUD (the original). At School our 'computer' was in a cupboard that could take about 2 people at a time and was a terminal for the computer at the college next door - I never used it as I wasn't impressed with the ASCII Art that seemed to be about all it was good for

steve

To alcohol ! The cause of - and solution to - all of life's problems

AndrewMurphy
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2916 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-26 : 06:03:48

1) Please indicate your age group from the following <20, 21-25,26-30,31-35,35-40,41-50, 50+
a) 35-40 for the moment
2) How long have you been with your current employer? If different how long have you been in your current role?
a) 17+ years
3) How long have you been performing the same (or similar) role to your current one?
a) 17+ years
4) After leaving full time education how many IT related jobs have you had and how many non-IT related ones?
a) 1+0
5) How long have you been using SQL Server and what was the first version you used?
a) 4+ years, v7.0
6) How long ago did you first start using SQL?
a) 4+ years
7) How many other database systems do you have a reasonable working knowledge of (e.g. Oracle, Access etc)
a) 4 - 3 of which are obsolete, the other is db2....which in some quarters would be considered obselete!!
8) Which database systems have you used?
a) DB2, PACE from Wang, Speed-II from TOM on Wang....and also years ago, one from Honeywell- now long forgotten.
9) Which was the first database system you used and when?
a) The Honeywell one on a extremely pleasant 15month work-experience program.
10) What was the first computer you used and when?
a) Apple-II, 25+ years ago, using the "comal" language in secondary school

Wanderer
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

1168 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-26 : 09:05:31

1) Please indicate your age group from the following <20, 21-25,26-30,31-35,35-40,41-50, 50+

31-35

2) How long have you been with your current employer? If different how long have you been in your current role?

6 months
3) How long have you been performing the same (or similar) role to your current one?

6 months

4) After leaving full time education how many IT related jobs have you had and how many non-IT related ones?

3 IT jobs, 0 non-IT jobs.

5) How long have you been using SQL Server and what was the first version you used?

3 years. SQL 7

6) How long ago did you first start using SQL?

SQL as in Structured Query Language? 9 years (10 years if you count university)
7) How many other database systems do you have a reasonable working knowledge of (e.g. Oracle, Access etc)

Access isn't a database ...

but seriously...

DB2 MVS; Access ;
8) Which database systems have you used?
DB2 Udb (low usage); Sybase (very low usage); Oracle (low usage)
9) Which was the first database system you used and when?
Oracle - at University for project. 1994
Db2 v4 for OS390 1994 (first job).
10) What was the first computer you used and when?
8086 - 1989 - Comp Sci at school.
Don't count one or two games at friends on a ZX Spectrum.

*##* *##* *##* *##*

Chaos, Disorder and Panic ... my work is done here!

X002548
Not Just a Number

15586 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-29 : 10:15:41

quote:
Originally posted by elwoos

There seems to be a common misconception that people above a 'certain' age are incapable of performing any sort of IT role.

Says who?

I'm usually the one bailing out the young bucks with their poor designs...data modeling? what's that?

And it's always these people who NEVER...and I mean NEVER, take the time to stop and ask for help with an approach...

I guess the assumption comes from management types who don't know any better and allow this sh-t to go on...

I'm bitter because I just spent 3 days debugging a COBOL/ DB2 OS/390 process that they decided to pass in hundreds of id's for update through linkage so they could...

1. parse into an internal table
2. Open a Cursor for each id
3. check to see it existed
4. check to see if the update value was the same or not
5. update the value if it was not the same
6. not update a different value if it was the same
7. Do this for every column in the table
8. Close the cursor
9. Do it again for every value

I swear, it's like a sign for the apocolypse

Sorry...

ALL WITHOUT AN APPROPRIATE INDEX!

"Gee, why does this take so long?"

And this is OLTP with a JAVA interface using MQ...

Brett

8-)

nr
SQLTeam MVY

12543 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-29 : 12:34:13

>> I just spent 3 days debugging
Why?
Just tell them to design it properly.
Or get more hardware. I think this would work fine on Oracle.

==========================================
Cursors are useful if you don't know sql.
DTS can be used in a similar way.
Beer is not cold and it isn't fizzy.

X002548
Not Just a Number

15586 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-29 : 12:53:05

Why not have the program create a global temp table, insert the rows and do a set update?

Also there's a finite amount of buffer for the MQ Message that they're not thinking about..

PLUS, when they pass the "row" back for the update, they may or may not supply all the columns...even though they are supplied the values on the initial call, so instead of doing 1 update, they have to make a call to get all the values in the db, then set the host variables where they are not blank...and why is blank not valid you ask?

I have no idea.

Oh, this is there way of avoiding the null issue.

Wouldn't it be better to have the calling application put a message out for every key, with all the data, and have them thread out at the box?

EDIT: And when did you put your pix in your bio?

Brett

8-)

tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-29 : 12:58:32

1) 26-30
2) 2.5 years; 5 years
3) 5 years
4) 3; 0
5) 8 years; 4.2.1 barely, so really 6.5
6) 8 years ago
7) 1
8) SQL Server, Centura SQLBase
9) SQL Server, 1996
10) Can't remember

Tara

RickD
Slow But Sure Yak Herding Master

3608 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-30 : 06:53:52

1) Please indicate your age group from the following <20, 21-25,26-30,31-35,35-40,41-50, 50+
29
2) How long have you been with your current employer? If different how long have you been in your current role?
1 week.
3) How long have you been performing the same (or similar) role to your current one?
6 years
4) After leaving full time education how many IT related jobs have you had and how many non-IT related ones?
IT, loads(contract), non-IT 4-5
5) How long have you been using SQL Server and what was the first version you used?
6 years, 6.5
6) How long ago did you first start using SQL?
6 years, unless you count Informix and Sybase, then about 9 years.
7) How many other database systems do you have a reasonable working knowledge of (e.g. Oracle, Access etc)
4, Informix, Sybase, Oracle, Access(If you count that as a database!!)
8) Which database systems have you used?
See above..
9) Which was the first database system you used and when?
Informix 1994 (don't count Access as a database really, but if so then 1992)..
10) What was the first computer you used and when?
A zx spectrum 1983

derrickleggett
Pointy Haired Yak DBA

4184 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-30 : 08:27:41

1) 31-35
2) 2.5 years
3) 2.5 years
4) 10; 0
5) 10ish years; 4.2.1
--Used Oracle, DBase, Access, and CA Datacom also (yuck). Anyone remember DQL?
6) 10 - 11 years ago
7) Oracle, Sybase, CA Datacom, Progressive SQL, MySQL, Access (is that a database?)
8) SQL Server, MySQL, Access(cough, cough)
9) DBase whatever version in the mid-80's??? Surely that doesn't count though.
10) hmmmm, I had a Commodore 64 with a cool tape drive. I wrote my first program on that. Since it was just a bouncing ball that changed colors, I'm not sure if it counted though. :) I had it pretty jacked before I stopped using it though. I bought an IBM after that. It was awesome. It had a 20mb harddrive with 256k of RAM. It even had a 300 baud modem and an amber monochrome monitor. That had a 40mb harddrive a 2400 before I got rid of it. I ran a Spitfire BBS on it, then upgraded to Wildcat or whatever it was. Gee....those were the days. lol

I still have my old 5.25 disks if anyone wants a few hundred. Volunteers???? How about Pirates??????

MeanOldDBA
derrickleggett@hotmail.com

When life gives you a lemon, fire the DBA.

Seventhnight
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2878 Posts

Posted - 2004-11-30 : 08:45:30

1) 21-25..... specifically 24
2) Been with employer 4.5 years. Due to recent buyout, may role may be upgraded soon
3) 3.5 years
4) 1 IT related job, 1 non-IT related job
5) 3.5 years, SQL Server 2000
6) 3.5 years
7) 1
8) SQL Server, Access
9) Access. Started using it at my non-it related job to keep track of tools in a warehouse supply room.
10) commodore 64 is the first one I remember having... i was young

By the way... I never formally studied any IT related anything. I'm a learn by trying kinda-guy. I studied and still am studying Mathematics.

Corey

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