I Guess It's True Then

The other day I wrote how MS doesn't care about DBAs. I really thought I was just being my usual negative self, but as it turns out, I'm not the only one. I've received so much email from DBAs saying the same thing, and that they're disgusted by MS's lack of thought they put into DBA tools. Some have even gone so far as to say MS is trying to do away with DBAs completely and make everyone a developer. That would

The other day I wrote how MS doesn't care about DBAs. I really thought I was just being my usual negative self, but as it turns out, I'm not the only one. I've received so much email from DBAs saying the same thing, and that they're disgusted by MS's lack of thought they put into DBA tools. Some have even gone so far as to say MS is trying to do away with DBAs completely and make everyone a developer. That would certainly seem to be the case with all the advancements they're making to developer tools, and hardly anything for DBAs. I keep thinking that surely MS can't be so blind as to think that a developer could do a DBA's job. Then it hits me... they've been big on ease of use, and they're certainly easier than a lot of the other DBs, so maybe their ultimate goal is to engineer us out of a job. Is the goal to make SQL so easy to use that you just don't need DBAs? It's possible I suppose, but if that is their true goal, it's a naive proposition. Developers simply don't know the things DBAs do, and who will fix all of their bad code if they're the ones watching the system, or if the system is watching itself. True, SQL Server may be so easy even a caveman can use it, but that doesn't mean problems don't arise. And when they do, who are you going to turn to... the Windows guy??? The developer who thinks SQL can only be written in cursors??? HAH!

From everything I'm seeing though, it certainly seems like they're trying to do away with DBAs. Our tools are becoming less and less rich, while plenty of effort is being put into developers. But I'm telling you right here and now... the day you get rid of DBAs is the day you get rid of your database. There just has to be somebody who knows how systems work, and how to make all of the DB code play together all nice-like.

Like I said... I thought it was just me, but the feedback I've gotten is overwhelming in favor of MS just not doing much for DBAs. And I realize that we're like the illegal aliens of IT, but you'd better start taking care of us, or you'll find out the hard way exactly what it is we do.