Despite their repeated pleadings, I just can't afford to let my 
colleagues learn SQL, Tim. I have to take every opportunity to hide the 
knowledge from them. I've found that developing simple, easy-to-use 
front-ends to complex internal systems here in the library is a good way 
to keep them dumb and happy. These library school loans are not going to 
pay off themselves, so I figure as long as I can shroud the command-line 
utopia from their sight, I'll be relatively safe. Once they start 
picking up on the joy of SQL -- and I pray that day never comes -- I 
will be out on the street.

Alex


Tim Spalding wrote:
> 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)
>>
> 
> 
> 


-- 
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)