Comments on: Web Persona and Your Career

By: facility9 » Links for the week of 2008-12-26

facility9 » Links for the week of 2008-12-26 — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:34:20 +0000

[...] Web Persona and Your Career – Tom LaRock makes some great points about how to present yourself on the web. Ultimately it comes down to being yourself. As I’ve started writing more for this blog I’m finding more of my voice as an author and I’m getting comfortable enough to start trying different things. Time will tell, but the important part is to just be yourself. [...]

By: Weekly Link Roundup 2008-12-21 | codegumbo

Weekly Link Roundup 2008-12-21 | codegumbo — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:44:28 +0000

[...] SQL Batman’s post on Web Persona: As a budding blogger, I wish that I wrote as eloquently as the Batman. I also wish I had been creative enough to choose a moniker like his, but if I keep building the brand, I think codegumbo will eventually have some of the same power. [...]

By: Brent Ozar

Brent Ozar — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:34:25 +0000

Ditto. And I do use adult language in meatspace and online, because, uh, well, I’m an adult.

If one of my DBAs accidentally drops a database, I expect him to drop an F-bomb shortly thereafter. A good employer will fire him for neither one, whereas a bad employer would fire him for EITHER one.

I’m not interested in improving my odds to work for a bad employer.

By: SDC

SDC — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:21:18 +0000

Personally, I dig the ‘SQLBatman’ alias. It makes you stick out in a good way, as somebody who knows stuff but doesn’t take himself too seriously.

By: Damon Clark

Damon Clark — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:26:11 +0000

Right on. I am done with the stuffy employers. I don’t want to work places that think a DBA has to be a crusty curmudgeon anyhow!

By: Stephen Dyckes

Stephen Dyckes — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:17:23 +0000

I would have to agree with your analysis. You need to be yourself! While there are good guidelines out there, they are just that, recommendations. Be yourself and enjoy life.

By: Todd Robinson

Todd Robinson — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:08:15 +0000

I agree with you completely. Even though I do have my own personal site with my own name on it, I don’t use it really because I’m afraid of posting something which might be the least bit offensive. Half of what makes our jobs interesting is the crazy things our users or vendors want us to do, and if there is no way to vent that, our heads would surely explode. I want to be able to share these experiences with my fellow DBA’s, but in a way that is not using real names to protect the ignorant.

By: Tim Ford

Tim Ford — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:52:34 +0000

Yeah, what YOU said. Seriously though I think you nailed it. Particularly the comment about not wanting to work in an environment or for a company that would stifle who you are.

Good work Tom. One of these days you may just be the World’s Most Exciting DBA.