Interview with Michelle Ufford

I recently had the honor of exchanging some emails with Michelle Ufford, aka the SQL Fool. I have never had the privilege of meeting Michelle in person but I hope that will change this year in November at PASS. In fact, I am going to start keeping a list of all the people I need to meet in person this year in order to avoid missing anyone. I’ll keep a running top ten list and update it weekly. But I digress…

Michelle agreed to do the email exchange interview and I am actually quite stunned she would even talk to me especially after having written that whole “Weird Science” post back in February. In fact, I am surprised anyone returns my emails these days. But she did and I am glad to have the chance to get to know her outside of just reading her fantastic blog posts. So, let’s get started.

SB: How long have you been with GoDaddy?

MFU: 2 years in July.

SB: What is your current job title, role, and responsibilities?

MFU: Senior SQL Server Developer DBA. Yeah, it’s a mouth-full. I work with some of our largest databases here at the company and am responsible for 2 TB’s worth of data. I can’t tell you the specifics, but we gather and process a phenomenal amount of data, very very quickly.

SB: Nice try, thinking you could hide behind some NDA or something. But I know that during the Super Bowl you were responsible for handling 27k transactions per second. Are you aware that everyone considers you to be “the” performance tuning expert right now? Even Pinal Dave is using your stuff!

MFU: Wow! No, I wasn’t aware, but I’m flattered. Performance tuning VLDB’s for Super Bowl sort of forced me to take my performance tuning to the next level. Though I wouldn’t consider myself “the” performance tuning expert, I definitely enjoy it. I feel honored that Pinal would write an article about my index defrag script. It’s that type of wonderful feedback that makes blogging and community involvement so rewarding.

SB: What is it like working for GoDaddy? Do those girls in the ads have their own cubicles, or offices?

MFU: It’s an awesome company. The GoDaddy girls don’t regularly come into the office, but they are definitely there for company events, such as the company holiday party. Most people get a chance to meet Danica Patrick or Candice Michelle at some point.

The corporate environment is pretty casual; jeans and t-shirts are the usual attire. By contrast, the turn-around time on projects is pretty quick, so work stays interesting. The company has a lot of great perks, such as our yearly in-company technical conference, called GD TechFest, where they fly every technical employee to Phoenix for a day of geek speak and go-cart racing. They also have a monthly employee appreciation day, where they take us out for events like mini-golf or paintball, all on the company’s dime and time.

SB: Is GoDaddy hiring? Forget it, with you, why would they need anyone else?

MFU: Yes, we’re definitely hiring! GoDaddy’s been growing steadily, despite the economy. And I’m only one of many; I’m fortunate to work with many wonderful and very knowledgeable SQL Server DBA’s.

SB: Do you belong to any user groups or professional associations?

MFU: Yes, I’m the founding President of the I380 Corridor PASS Chapter. I’m also a member of the PASS Performance SIG, SSWUG, and Cedar Rapid’s INETA Chapter.

SB: Are there lots of geeks in Iowa? I know I don’t usually think of it as a place for the tech-folk to gather, but it seems like a lot of interesting work is being done in the Heartland these days.

MFU: You know, I’m not an Iowa native, so I’ve been surprised to learn just how many geeks are out here. I’ve even heard Cedar Rapids called the “Silicon Valley of the Midwest.” I know, it’s hard to believe. But there does seem to be a high concentration of geeks per square mile. Maybe it has something to with the number of tech companies here.

SB: You call yourself “SQL Fool”, why the moniker? Do you know, or know of, Mr. T by any chance?

MFU: “Fool” can mean several things. My definition of choice is “an ardent enthusiast who cannot resist an opportunity to indulge an enthusiasm.” I think this describes how I feel about SQL Server pretty well. Another definition can be “an idiotic person.” I like the ambiguitiy; readers of my blog are free to use the definition of their choice. And yes, I know who Mr. T is… in fact, that’s the 2nd time I’ve been asked that same question in about 2 months 😉

 

SB: Yes it is clear to most that you are indeed a “fool” when it comes to all thing MS SQL Server. You even think about SQL while shopping for groceries. What other interests do you have outside of the obvious tech-geek?

MFU: I used to play World of Warcraft, but one day it occurred to me just how much time I was *wasting* with it, so I now devote that time instead to the SQL community. But I’m a gamer at heart, so I get my “fix” by playing games like Rockband with my family. In my remaining free time, I can either be found reading (usually Sci-Fi/Fantasy) or spending time with my wonderful husband and step-daughter.

For more information on Michelle, check out her blog a http://sqlfool.com.