> The attitude "space is cheap" has always bothered me. In my world the "space is cheap" is more aimed at retaining core data that host UNIX/LINUX based systems using PICK for a database will purge routinely, since retaining "old data" slows the PICK database down so badly. VFP does an excellent job preserving performance despite me retaining data for longer term marketing purposes than the programmers stuck in the PICK world. I often quip, "space is cheap", but in terms of said retention as opposed to data replication in multiple tables. From where I stand "space is cheap" makes perfect sense, and in fact provides an opportunity to drag more revenue (and profits) into my clients' business operations as it allows me to provide long term marketing opportunities lost when the PICK tables are purged of useful data.
Gil > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of MB Software Solutions > Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 10:00 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [NF] Consulting saga continued or Why Be Normal? > > > Paul Newton wrote: > >> Because you’re a sissy? http://www.kottke.org/04/10/normalized-data > >> > >> > > OK - I checked it out - a LOT of the comments were in disagreement with > > the thesis > > > > The attitude "space is cheap" has always bothered me. Imo, it's cut > from the same cloth as "let's just throw more people/money at the > problem rather than fix it." Sure, like everything, the answer "it > depends" is relevant here yet again. I've seen tables used for > messaging and/or simple lookups, and although at one glance they look > like shit, well, that's what makes the views/stored procedures that much > more valuable--to extract and give you what you need rather than worry > about the structure of the underlying database tables. > > Personally, I don't like denormalization in most instances because of > the same reason this guy said in the comments of that article: > > chris crippen says: > and if you have more then one programmer working on different parts > of an application, each programmer then needs to know where to > update each table that that holds this "duplicate" information. > missing one update could invalidate your entire database. > * > * > > The integrity of the data means more to me than squeezing a few more > fractions of a second for speed. > > > -- > Michael J. Babcock, MCP > MB Software Solutions, LLC > http://mbsoftwaresolutions.com > http://fabmate.com > "Work smarter, not harder, with MBSS custom software solutions!" > > > [excessive quoting removed by server] _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[EMAIL PROTECTED] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
