Despite their repeated pleadings, I just can't afford to let my
colleagues learn SQL, Tim. I have to take every opportunity to hide the
knowledge from them. I've found that developing simple, easy-to-use
front-ends to complex internal systems here in the library is a good way
to keep them dumb and happy. These library school loans are not going to
pay off themselves, so I figure as long as I can shroud the command-line
utopia from their sight, I'll be relatively safe. Once they start
picking up on the joy of SQL -- and I pray that day never comes -- I
will be out on the street.
Alex
Tim Spalding wrote:
That reminds me of a better idea. Let's keep a real understanding of
computers from "less-techy colleagues" at the library. That way no
messy learning or understanding will take place, and we'll always be
needed.
Then we could start wearing white colors...
T
On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 11:43 AM, Alex Dolski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
That reminds me of an idea for a photo sharing website I had, tentatively
called LeftOutrJoinr. It would be like Flickr, but instead of pictures
everywhere, visitors would be given a command line into which they would be
able to enter their own SQL queries to call up photos to appear on the page
via AJAX. I see it becoming quite popular among 3-5 people.
Alex
Tim Spalding wrote:
I'd consider teaching them how to use SQL directly.
I've done it at LibraryThing. I take employees from the simplest
SELECTs all the way to a people-who-have-X-also-have-Y self-join in
one long hands-on lesson. It doubles as a sort of test, and I've even
used it in hiring. LibraryThing's two full-time librarians got there
with flying colors; I've had programmers who stumbled. (Not
surprisingly they didn't work out.) Once someone understands SQL
itself, you can throw a helper, like PMA, at them too.
I think there's a real opportunity for empowerment here. Teach a man
to SELECT and he'll never have to, um, fish again.
Tim
On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 9:58 AM, Tim McGeary <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I use Webmin. http://www.webmin.com/
It gives me a GUI for all of my vital sysadmin needs that I can't
remember
how to do at the shell.
It has a MySQL GUI interface that works very well. And you can setup
user
accounts to have access to certain parts of Webmin, like just MySQL.
Easy RPM install, and inside Webmin is an app to upgrade itself. Can
also
install Perl modules, edit your php.ini file, etc.
Cheers,
Tim
Tim McGeary
Senior Systems Specialist
Lehigh University
610-758-4998
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Google Talk: timmcgeary
Yahoo IM: timmcgeary
Ken Irwin wrote:
Hi folks,
I have some straightforward MySQL data tables that I would like to be
editable by some of my less-techy colleagues. I tend to think of
phpMyAdmin
as a perfectly serviceable and reasonably interface for updating
database
tables, but I'm told that it's kind of intimidating to the uninitiated.
Are there alternatives that are meant for non-admin-types? I'd want
something with read/write permissions, but that could be targeted at
just a
few tables, wouldn't have any of the more potent tools (drop, empty,
etc.).
In the ideal world, I might like something that would prevent users from
doing things like accidentally changing primary key data and things like
that.
I've thought about writing something, but I suspect that would be
reinventing the wheel. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Ken
--
Alex A. Dolski
Web & Digitization Application Developer
Lied Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 457041
Las Vegas, NV 89154-7041
(702) 895-2225 (phone) / (702) 895-2280 (fax)
--
Alex A. Dolski
Web & Digitization Application Developer
Lied Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 457041
Las Vegas, NV 89154-7041
(702) 895-2225 (phone) / (702) 895-2280 (fax)
