Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Analytics & SQL Tables



My December blog @All Analytics. 

Manipulating/extracting data from SQL databases and interpreting results without knowledge of what the source tables mean is almost certain to lead analysis astray. To ensure sensible analysis and properly interpreted results, the conscientious analyst may have to do some digging that requires basic database knowledge. Here's why.

Read it all. (Please comment there, not here)








Sunday, November 30, 2014

SQL's Incomplete Set-lization, Part 2




by Erwin Smout


[FP: Two weeks ago I posted a debunking of an article blaming some SQL sins. Erwin has some additional comments.]

1. Multisets


From the original article:
It is beyond any doubt that set is the basis of mass data computation. Although SQL has the concept of set, it is limited to describing simple result set, and it does not take the set as a basic data type to enlarge its application scope.
Sidestepping several possible nitpicks here, such as e.g., that SQL allows duplicate rows and thus, in its basic form, has bag, not set algebra, the intention behind the complaint here is mostly accurate.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Weekly Update UPDATE 2



Housekeeping: I have added a link to Nijssen's paper The Entity-Relationship Model Considered Harmful to FUNDAMENTALS on the HOME page. UPDATE 2: The paper is fine if read with a PDF viewer other than
Adobe Reader XI (11.0.09).


1. Quotes of the Week
Platfora’s mission is to empower customers to transform their businesses into fact-based enterprises. Platfora's Big Data Analytics Platform masks the complexity of Hadoop, making it easy for customers to understand all the facts in their business... --Platfora.com
Q: I don't know what the different between detect inference in database and prevent it, any help?
A: Why would you want to prevent inferences that a DMBS makes? That's where the power of it is. --LinkedIn.com
2. To Laugh or Cry?
Graphs: A Better Database Abstraction
3. Online debunkings

4. Interesting elsewhere
You Too May Be A Victim Of Developaralysis
H/t Will Sisson.

5. And now for something completely different 
  • About The PostWest
If they do this:
Fatah official calls for blood to 'purify' Jerusalem of Jews
PA airs 'anti-Semitic' film as tensions mount in Jerusalem
Four killed in terror attack at Jerusalem synagogue
then obviously we should do this:
Croatia likely to recognize Palestine as a state MidEast
Sweden To Recognize State Of Palestine
Spanish Parliament Calls on Rajoy to Recognize Palestine
UK lawmakers vote to recognize Palestine as a state
and this
EU threatens 'further action' to protect two-state solution
EU considering 'sanctions' against Israel over settlements
Makes perfect sense. So what else is new?



Friday, November 7, 2014

Relational Fidelity and Analytics Integrity




My November blog post @All Analytics:


I have shown in previous posts that reliance on sheer visual inspection of database tables for data analysis is a risky proposition, with high probability of misinterpretation. All the more so when databases are complex, with wide and/or long tables. The analyst needs to know table interpretations -- their real-world meaning derived from the business rules with which the database must be consistent. The problem is that they are left out of the tables because DBMSs do not understand them, nor are they usually documented in the database (as they well should be), because database professionals underestimate their importance.

Read it all. (Please comment there, not here)









Sunday, November 2, 2014

Weekly Update



1. Quote of the Week
Those who argue for natural keys typically do so from a position of philosophical purity, as is the case in the Simple Talk article you cited. In my (25+) years of experience, people who argue from this position are long on education and short on real-world experience. In the real world just about every natural key I've ever come across is subject to duplication and/or redefinition. There are very few cases outside of smallish code tables where it is practical to take the philosophical high ground regarding natural keys. --StackExchange.com

2. To Laugh or Cry?
R2G a Tool for Migrating Relations to Graphs
H/t Erwin Smout.

3. Online debunkings

4. Interesting elsewhere
The Delusions of Big Data
Must read.

5. And now for something completely different
Ebola-- Failures of Imagination
Not to worry, America, Ebola will go to India first.
Can you detect the stealth animals hiding in all these pictures?
Fascinating.

About The PostWest:
Jihadism is OK as long as it kills Jews. Nice people. Let's ...
Irish parliament calls on government to recognize Palestine
... give them a state. Really?
Pat Condell: 'Boo Hoo Palestine'




Sunday, October 26, 2014

Weekly Update




1. Quote of the Week
Q: What's the key technical skills for Data Modeling? 
A: Erwin or Rational or phycial [sic] modelling or conceptual modelling or Logical modelling. --LinkedIn.com 
NULL means data is not available, nothing more...--LinkedIn.com
In case you were wondering.


2. To Laugh or Cry?

Oldie, but goodie from old dbdebunk:
On a Pile of ... what?

3. Online debunkings

4. Elsewhere

5. And now for something completely different
CDC blames cuts for Ebola response, pays millions in bonuses

About The PostWest:
Never again? Think again: they're at it again, to finish the job.
The Bible's Buried Secrets
Fascinating.



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