PowerUsers of StackOverflow, not always worth their reputation:



  • This was an answer to a question I asked over at StackOverflow while in the process of learning Crystal Reports:

    I have to ask. Why would you want to? Crystal's main purpose is displaying data in a human readable format, not querying and conditionally sorting it. I recommend keeping the queries outside of Crystal and only importing the results. For example: [list]Make an MS Access database that pulls data from your source.[/list] [list]In this database, throw in all the queries you want.[/list] [list]In your crystal .rpt, link to the queries with data you want to display.[/list]

    For those interested: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4270624/port-microsoft-sql-select-case-to-crystal-reports-11 .



  • 1.6k reputation does not a "PowerUser" make.

    In other matters, I love how Stack Overflow uses the whole "e-penis" thing to create a constructive community. Imagine how nice Xbox Live would be if you lost Gamerscore for being annoying on mic. (Note: I've never played on Xbox Live so I'm just going by stereotypes here.)



  • @MiffTheFox said:

    1.6k reputation does not a "PowerUser" make.

    In other matters, I love how Stack Overflow uses the whole "e-penis" thing to create a constructive community. Imagine how nice Xbox Live would be if you lost Gamerscore for being annoying on mic. (Note: I've never played on Xbox Live so I'm just going by stereotypes here.)

    Taking advice from someone who calls themself "PowerUser" is a naturally bad idea, methinks.



  •  Meh, for some people SO rep is not so much an indication of intelligence as it is an indication of OCD. You can get the same rep for half-assedly answering a dozen question quickly or answering one well. Not to mention that the votes are not exactly a good measure of how good your answer this. In the past I've gotten a couple of votes on a difficult question I had to spend 2 hours solving and 10 votes on another junior-level one line answer.

    Hell, if it's just a high rep you're after, just filter either by PHP or C#, keep refreshing till you find something you know, answer quickly, rinse, repeat.



  • Well, welcome to the Internet - I can call myself MegaSupremeRulerOfTheWorld, does that make it real? Also, 1) you can get to 1600 rep by giving mostly uninspiring answers to anything (see the user's profile), 2) 1600 is not that much, 3) non-zero SO rep is an indicator of participation, not really a guarantee of quality, and most importantly 4) the answer in question is now at -4 and counting. Nothing to see here, move along.



  • @MiffTheFox said:

    1.6k reputation does not a "PowerUser" make.

    In other matters, I love how Stack Overflow uses the whole "e-penis" thing to create a constructive community. Imagine how nice Xbox Live would be if you lost Gamerscore for being annoying on mic. (Note: I've never played on Xbox Live so I'm just going by stereotypes here.)

     

    Off-topic but the Xbox Live thing would be horrible. According to my rep report, my account is around 60% avoided by other players due to trash talking. This even though I never play online with a mic.



  • His profile says:
    "Business Objects Certified Professional (Crystal Reports 2008 Certification)" !



  • @mott555 said:

    @MiffTheFox said:

    1.6k reputation does not a "PowerUser" make.

    In other matters, I love how Stack Overflow uses the whole "e-penis" thing to create a constructive community. Imagine how nice Xbox Live would be if you lost Gamerscore for being annoying on mic. (Note: I've never played on Xbox Live so I'm just going by stereotypes here.)

     

    Off-topic but the Xbox Live thing would be horrible. According to my rep report, my account is around 60% avoided by other players due to trash talking. This even though I never play online with a mic.

    Its common for losing teams in a multiplayer match to use this as "payback".  in other they are such sore losers that they use the rating system as punishment for you winning.


  • @DOA said:

     Meh, for some people SO rep is not so much an indication of intelligence as it is an indication of OCD. You can get the same rep for half-assedly answering a dozen question quickly or answering one well. Not to mention that the votes are not exactly a good measure of how good your answer this. In the past I've gotten a couple of votes on a difficult question I had to spend 2 hours solving and 10 votes on another junior-level one line answer.

    Hell, if it's just a high rep you're after, just filter either by PHP or C#, keep refreshing till you find something you know, answer quickly, rinse, repeat.

    From my experience on SO, you can get rep by just posting "jquery has a plug in for that" in every single topic.

    I don't use the site myself, because of it's reliance on the retarded OpenID system to store logins.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    From my experience on SO, you can get rep by just posting "jquery has a plug in for that" in every single topic.

    I don't use the site myself, because of it's reliance on the retarded OpenID system to store logins.

    I never created a login, but I'm logged in every time I go to the site.  Haven't quite figured it out yet.

    It was handy to have a premade account when Oracle was WTFing on me and I needed some help though.



  • @piskvorr said:

    Well, welcome to the Internet - I can call myself MegaSupremeRulerOfTheWorld, does that make it real? Also, 1) you can get to 1600 rep by giving mostly uninspiring answers to anything (see the user's profile), 2) 1600 is not that much, 3) non-zero SO rep is an indicator of participation, not really a guarantee of quality, and most importantly 4) the answer in question is now at -4 and counting. Nothing to see here, move along.
     

    Why should Internet sites be any different from the real world?  At work, I often find nobody cares about stuff I spend hours or days working on, but they wax enthusiastically about my brilliance in doing something I tossed off in a couple of minutes.



  • @dtobias said:

    @piskvorr said:

    Well, welcome to the Internet - I can call myself MegaSupremeRulerOfTheWorld, does that make it real? Also, 1) you can get to 1600 rep by giving mostly uninspiring answers to anything (see the user's profile), 2) 1600 is not that much, 3) non-zero SO rep is an indicator of participation, not really a guarantee of quality, and most importantly 4) the answer in question is now at -4 and counting. Nothing to see here, move along.
     

    Why should Internet sites be any different from the real world?  At work, I often find nobody cares about stuff I spend hours or days working on, but they wax enthusiastically about my brilliance in doing something I tossed off in a couple of minutes.

    I'm not sure if "tossed off" means the same thing to you as it does to me, but it definitely makes that sentence more interesting.



  • @HighlyPaidContractor said:

    I'm not sure if "tossed off" means the same thing to you as it does to me, but it definitely makes that sentence more interesting.

    For certain values of interesting.



  • @b-redeker said:

    @HighlyPaidContractor said:

    I'm not sure if "tossed off" means the same thing to you as it does to me, but it definitely makes that sentence more interesting.

    For certain values of interesting.

    More interesting than mapping fixed width files into a third-party database.



  • The guy does have something vaguely resembling a clue - sufficiently complex logic is impractical or inefficient to implement at the Crystal layer (this came up big-time in one of my recent major projects) - but (1) your specific example is almost certainly not sufficiently complex, and (2) Access is a whole separate pile of WTF.

     



  • @blakeyrat said:

    @DOA said:

     Meh, for some people SO rep is not so much an indication of intelligence as it is an indication of OCD. You can get the same rep for half-assedly answering a dozen question quickly or answering one well. Not to mention that the votes are not exactly a good measure of how good your answer this. In the past I've gotten a couple of votes on a difficult question I had to spend 2 hours solving and 10 votes on another junior-level one line answer.

    Hell, if it's just a high rep you're after, just filter either by PHP or C#, keep refreshing till you find something you know, answer quickly, rinse, repeat.

    From my experience on SO, you can get rep by just posting "jquery has a plug in for that" in every single topic.

    I don't use the site myself, because of it's reliance on the retarded OpenID system to store logins.

    You don't have a Google account? Are you a luddite?



  • @emurphy said:

    and (2) Access is a whole separate pile of WTF
     

    Suggesting Access as a solution to just about anything is a WTF


  • :belt_onion:

    @El_Heffe said:

    @emurphy said:

    and (2) Access is a whole separate pile of WTF
     

    Suggesting Access as a solution to just about anything is a WTF

    Why would that be? I once had to analyze data (defect reports) that was saved in a sharepoint list in a very awkward way. In Access I created a table that automatically linked to that Sharepoint list (so it was always in sync). On that table I could easily execute all the queries I needed to make sense of the data and create a nice pivot table and pivot chart in order to generate a decent bug progress report for management. It's all about choosing the right tool for the right job. MS Access has its place.

    And Sharepoint list is NOT the right tool for defect tracking :-)



  • @bjolling said:

    MS Access has its place.
     

    I'm curious, in a just-curious way, what major improvements have been implemented in Access since I last used its 2000 version.


  • Garbage Person

    @dhromed said:

    @bjolling said:

    MS Access has its place.
     

    I'm curious, in a just-curious way, what major improvements have been implemented in Access since I last used its 2000 version.

    Jet is out. Some sort of new backend is in. Unfortunately it's not a SQL Server compatible backend, so it still sucks goatballs.

     Access is quite useful when you need to transform data between systems - it can be used to rip shit out of more or less anything, crowbar it into useful shape, and allow you to run queries against it.


  • :belt_onion:

    @Weng said:

    @dhromed said:

    @bjolling said:

    MS Access has its place.
     

    I'm curious, in a just-curious way, what major improvements have been implemented in Access since I last used its 2000 version.

    Jet is out. Some sort of new backend is in. Unfortunately it's not a SQL Server compatible backend, so it still sucks goatballs.

     Access is quite useful when you need to transform data between systems - it can be used to rip shit out of more or less anything, crowbar it into useful shape, and allow you to run queries against it.

    Hey! I was gonna say that. Only not so articulately :-(

    MS Access has plenty of connectors for all kinds of data sources, such as the Sharepoint lists in my example, but also dBase, Excel, Exchange, HTML, Lotus 1-2-3, Outlook, Paradox, text files, xml files and ODBC obviously. And for most of those you can setup linked tables so that your data stays in sync. Obviously it's not a real business data backend but it makes for a simple ETL and reporting tool



  • @The_Assimilator said:

    You don't have a Google account? Are you a luddite?

    What does me having a Google account have to do with me thinking OpenID is a shitty technology I don't want to use or encourage others to use?

    If you really want me to get into OpenID, lemme know. I thought it was self-evident that the system is a giant ball of shit.



  • @emurphy said:

    Access is a whole separate pile of WTF
    This.



  • The only thing I ever use Access for is 5 minute one-off projects so 'Lil Mary Jane Rottencrotch up in the cubicle farm can make her TPS report for her PHB.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    @The_Assimilator said:
    You don't have a Google account? Are you a luddite?

    What does me having a Google account have to do with me thinking OpenID is a shitty technology I don't want to use or encourage others to use?

    If you really want me to get into OpenID, lemme know. I thought it was self-evident that the system is a giant ball of shit.

     

    This.  And yet I have several OpenID accounts, thanks to several sites I use deciding to "me too!" on OpenID.

    Back to the topic at hand, I see that answer got deleted, but only after it was rated -5..



  • @powerlord said:

    And yet I have several OpenID accounts, thanks to several sites I use deciding to "me too!" on OpenID.

    If only! Everybody seems to be offering "Open"ID, but in this way: "You can log in with our ID into any site that supports OpenID, but you need to use our ID to log in here" (Launchpad, I'm looking at you). Result: Everybody and their dog is an OpenID provider, but nobody wants to be an OpenID consumer. End result: every site has their own set of credentials anyway, and some call theirs OpenID. Meh.



  • @piskvorr said:

    @powerlord said:
    And yet I have several OpenID accounts, thanks to several sites I use deciding to "me too!" on OpenID.

    If only! Everybody seems to be offering "Open"ID, but in this way: "You can log in with our ID into any site that supports OpenID, but you need to use our ID to log in here" (Launchpad, I'm looking at you). Result: Everybody and their dog is an OpenID provider, but nobody wants to be an OpenID consumer. End result: every site has their own set of credentials anyway, and some call theirs OpenID. Meh.

     

    I've noticed that, too... and even called out at least one site on this hypocrisy.  Not that it did any good.



  • @piskvorr said:

    but in this way: "You can log in with our ID into any site that supports OpenID, but you need to use *our* ID to log in here" (Launchpad, I'm looking at you). Result: Everybody and their dog is an OpenID *provider*, but nobody wants to be an OpenID *consumer*. End result: every site has their own set of credentials anyway, and some call theirs OpenID. Meh.
     

    I don't know anything about OpenId and will investigate later, maybe. Isn't the point that you have 1 secure set of credentials for several secure systems? IF they're all doing their own OpenID, isn't that precisely equivalent to plain ol' user/pass combos for every service you use, thus uteerly negating the usability progress of user account security?

     

     



  • @dhromed said:

    @piskvorr said:

    but in this way: "You can log in with our ID into any site that supports OpenID, but you need to use *our* ID to log in here" (Launchpad, I'm looking at you). Result: Everybody and their dog is an OpenID *provider*, but nobody wants to be an OpenID *consumer*. End result: every site has their own set of credentials anyway, and some call theirs OpenID. Meh.
     

    I don't know anything about OpenId and will investigate later, maybe. Isn't the point that you have 1 secure set of credentials for several secure systems? IF they're all doing their own OpenID, isn't that precisely equivalent to plain ol' user/pass combos for every service you use, thus uteerly negating the usability progress of user account security?

    After all this time a retarder implementation of a good idea still manages to surprise you?



  • @dhromed said:

    Isn't the point that you have 1 secure set of credentials for several secure systems?

    That is the point, and it's also a good idea. It's the implementation that sucks.

    Basically, they were trying to make an open source version of Microsoft's Passport/LiveID, and failed on every level. (Except one: it's not created by Microsoft.) It has fewer features, it's harder to use, it's harder to code apps around, it depends on the good graces on potentially unstable OpenID provider sites, doesn't give you centralized control over your own personal information, allows your account to be hijacked reasonably easily. And probably more flaws that aren't coming to mind right now. It's not even well-documented.

    Until OAuth came around. Now OpenID looks almost brilliant in comparison.

    @dhromed said:

    IF they're all doing their own OpenID, isn't that precisely equivalent to plain ol' user/pass combos for every service you use, thus uteerly negating the usability progress of user account security?

    Yes. In addition to the other millions of flaws, there's no assurance that sites providing OpenID services also consume OpenID services. Because, you know, that wouldn't be very "open". (Of course, even if it did it wouldn't help with existing accounts-- since you can't combine two OpenID identities into a single one like you can with Passport/LiveID.)



  • @piskvorr said:

    ... the answer in question is now at -4 and counting. Nothing to see here, move along.
     

    It has now gone so low it is invisible.  Also the question has been viewed 484 times which for StackOverflow is a pretty good number of hits.



  • @port22 said:

    This was an answer to a question I asked over at StackOverflow while in the process of learning Crystal Reports:
    I have to ask. Why would you want to? Crystal's main purpose is displaying data in a human readable format, not querying and conditionally sorting it. I recommend keeping the queries outside of Crystal and only importing the results. For example:
      Make an MS Access database that pulls data from your source.
      In this database, throw in all the queries you want.
      In your crystal .rpt, link to the queries with data you want to display.

    For those interested: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4270624/port-microsoft-sql-select-case-to-crystal-reports-11 .

    My solution would have been to frame your "base" query as either a view on the sql server, and then allow crystal to filter it, or as a table returning parameterized stored procedure or function on the sql server and have crystal pass the parameters.  In both cases including your "calculated" field in the result set.


  • :belt_onion:

    @hoodaticus said:

    @emurphy said:

    Access is a whole separate pile of WTF
    This.


    @hoodaticus said:
    The only thing I ever use Access for is 5 minute one-off projects so 'Lil Mary Jane Rottencrotch up in the cubicle farm can make her TPS report for her PHB.

    After only 5 minutes of playing with Access, you came to the conclusion that it is a pile of WTF? And you're not impressed by the fact that it only took you 5 minutes to generate a report for your boss thanks to MS Access?

    Maybe you would have preferred to start a business case, get funding and staffing, perform a full functional, technical and architectural analysis, build an application on your development stack of choice, pass all test and review phases and launch something in production 3 months later?

    Enterprisey



  • As a product, Access is not terrible. What is terrible is it's backwards-compatibility. I have seen environments where about every computer had Access 97, Access XP and Access 2007 installed because old databases didn't work properly in new versions and their users (who made them) didn't bother to port them to new versions.



  • @Buzer said:

    What is terrible is it's backwards-compatibility. I have seen environments where about every computer had Access 97, Access XP and Access 2007 installed because old databases didn't work properly in new versions and their users (who made them) didn't bother to port them to new versions.

    Porting to newer versions is a breeze, usually. It just means that older versions can't use the new database anymore. Also, you see this kind of behaviour everywhere (multiple versions), with any kind of tool; people are afraid of the consequences of such an upgrade, but not always justified.

    The bad thing about Access is the way it's used. People use it to create a quick solution for Lill Mary Rottencrotch, on her desktop, for something that's done twice a month. Then 5 years later it turns out 8000 users around the world use the same solution daily and complain because it's slow; management doesn't want to invest in a proper solution because the Access one still works. By the time it's finally converted, miss Rottencrotch's nephew, her uncle and her retarded stepsister have all pissed all over tried to expand the solution, and at this point they ask you: "please convert this, it should be easy because it already works".


  • :belt_onion:

    @b-redeker said:

    The bad thing about Access is the way it's used. People use it to create a quick solution for Lill Mary Rottencrotch, on her desktop, for something that's done twice a month. Then 5 years later it turns out 8000 users around the world use the same solution daily and complain because it's slow;

    I had something similar happen to an Excel file I created for testing an SSIS package. An application that I developed saves its data into the "application" SQL Server. An SSIS package then denormalizes and decodes the data and saves it to the "BI" SQL Server. I created an Excel file to allow my project manager (and only him) to monitor the results until the BI people would develop the real reports.

    We are now 6 months later and my project manager has just come to my desk and asked some modifications. Apparently the business users are very pleased with the Excel but need some new features

    But it still doesn't mean that Excel is a pile of WTF



  • @verisimilidude said:

    @piskvorr said:

    ... the answer in question is now at -4 and counting. Nothing to see here, move along.
     

    It has now gone so low it is invisible.  Also the question has been viewed 484 times which for StackOverflow is a pretty good number of hits.

     

    The user apparently deleted it when he noticed his answer hit -5.  Users with 10,000 or more reputation points on StackOverflow can still see it, though.



  • The problem with SO is that it basically ONLY rewards people who give out the popular/textbook answers. If you make a valid suggestion and someone disagrees with you (for example, saying VB.NET is good, or PHP is good, or Stored Procedures are NOT evil) then you get downvoted while someone who tosses out a bogus answer or one that appeals to the masses will get tons of upvotes.

    I really don't see how anyone can consider SO "good" since it basically just enforces the status quo and is a big dick-waving contest among programmers.


  • Garbage Person

    @ObiWayneKenobi said:

    Stored Procedures are NOT evil
    I've not heard this one yet. Why, pray tell, are stored procedures frowned upon?



  • @Weng said:

    @ObiWayneKenobi said:

    Stored Procedures are NOT evil
    I've not heard this one yet. Why, pray tell, are stored procedures frowned upon?

    Something to the effect of it's LOGIC in the DATABASE (gasp the horror!) and you should only ever be using an ORM, never touching that evil SQL.

    I'm not kidding, well, not really. I once got like 10+ downvotes on a question I answered because someone was asking about if they should never use SProcs and I basically said "They are useful in certain situations, but you shouldn't use them EVERYWHERE." Then came the downvotes from people who, evidently, believed you should never ever ever ever use SProcs and the mere thought of using them would turn you down a path of evil and, I guess, turn you into a Ringwraith or something similar.




    One sproc to rule them all

    One sproc to find them (via Select *)

    One sproc to bring them all

    And in the darkness bind them (to a GridView)

    In the land of SQL where the queries lie


  • Garbage Person

     .... Isn't enforced referential integrity also technically logic in the database?

    And I use sprocs compulsively, if only because I don't trust my fellow developers to not fuck up the database. All too often when they roll their own SQL, they end up misusing columns in where statements, or fucking up state in inserts and updates.





  •  Quite resourceful.


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