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 <[log in to unmask]> 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 <[log in to unmask]> 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
>>> [log in to unmask]
>>> 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)
>



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