[Courses] Courses Digest, Vol 46, Issue 12
Nopalita221
nopalita221 at gmail.com
Wed Nov 21 16:15:03 UTC 2007
I bought and taught myself how to use a computer not quite 5 years ago,
having no training, no formal education (did get my GED) and no technical
work experience. I'm a little intimidated at this point because two weeks
ago I didn't know what a database was, but so far I haven't encountered
anything insurmountable if I found it interesting. If this course is beyond
my scope, it will still be a learning experience, to be 'filed and fiddled
with' later. Did I hear the word "challenging"? Oh, yeah.
I've found I love to design websites and have 3 up and running with a
minimum of knowledge under my belt so I'm studying as fast as possible with
Virginia DeBolt's "Integrated HTML and CSS". It seems to be the fastest,
most thorough way to get started. I know my code is crap but it works for
now and will be remedied soon.
Thank you, everyone who is involved with this project. Thank goodness that
so many people who love to learn also feel the urge to teach. It gives us
noobs the courage to say, "What's that? I can do that!".
Lisa M
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Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 6:00 AM
Subject: Courses Digest, Vol 46, Issue 12
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL? (Sarah Mei)
2. Re: [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL? (Kaisa Anttila)
3. Re: [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL? (Tricia Bowen)
4. Re: [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL? (maiki)
5. Re: [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL? (Liz Young)
6. Re: [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL? (Kallio)
7. Re: [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL? (Claudine Chionh)
8. Re: [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL? (Cynthia Kiser)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:26:06 -0800
From: "Sarah Mei" <sarahmei at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Courses] [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL?
To: courses at linuxchix.org
Message-ID:
<80fbad570711200926h426c39ecg8b9530d81d68f679 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Nov 19, 2007 6:26 PM, Michelle M <michelle at murrain.net> wrote:
> - Give us a brief intro to yourself, and why you are taking this course
> - If you haven't already, think of a concrete project you'd like to use
> PG with. Share with us a brief synopsis of the project: the problem, the
> platform, the approach you'll think you'll take, and why you think PG
> might be a good fit. It should be something that will be fun, and
> perhaps a bit challenging for you.
I'm Sarah, and I've been doing database-backed programming in Java and
Rails on Oracle and MySQL for about 9 years. All this time, I've
managed to avoid learning too much about database design or advanced
SQL, because I really love the programming part. However, I think the
time has come to fill in that area of knowledge. :)
I know this is a course specifically about Postgres, but I'm hoping to
improve my general understanding of database system architecture,
database design, and advanced SQL.
I do have a hobby project in mind, though. I play an online MMORPG
called Puzzle Pirates. In this game you are a pirate, and you can join
a crew, and your crew can band together with other crews to form a
flag. (Mayhem ensues.) I want to create a tracking application that
downloads information about crew and flag membership nightly and can
display differences over time. The developers of Puzzle Pirates have
officially blessed this sort of information gathering application; now
I just have to write it. I'll do it in Rails but I'd like to try Rails
with Postgres. Most of my trouble is with the database design; I'm not
sure how to represent what could be a lot of duplicate data - crew
membership may only change by one or two people a week. Do I store
deltas? If so, what's the best representation? Maybe this course will
help me figure it out.
I'm looking forward to reading more intros. :)
Sarah
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:08:12 +0200
From: "Kaisa Anttila" <kaisa.anttila at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Courses] [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL?
To: courses at linuxchix.org
Message-ID:
<37203c750711201008o3103f571v74401d4601ad7d3e at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> - Give us a brief intro to yourself, and why you are taking this course
Hello everybody! I'm Kaisa, a university student from Finland. I know
very little about databases - I've had one course in the university
about them - and I'm eager to use an opportunity to learn more. I have
quite a lot of other studying to do, so I'm a bit worried I might not
have time for this course. But trying shouldn't hurt :)
> - If you haven't already, think of a concrete project you'd like to use
> PG with.
I can't really think of anything good here. We have a programming
assignment where we make a program that uses a database. We can choose
what kind of program we'd like to code and I've designed mine. I might
try to expand that program a little bit to make it actually useful.
But I need to think about this more.
That should have been short enough :P
Kaisa
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:09:10 -0500
From: "Tricia Bowen" <tricia.bowen at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Courses] [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL?
To: michelle at murrain.net
Cc: courses at linuxchix.org
Message-ID:
<c40633660711201009w58b52d99r38fde8c90411dfe5 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Nov 19, 2007 9:26 PM, Michelle M <michelle at murrain.net> wrote:
> - Give us a brief intro to yourself, and why you are taking this course
> - If you haven't already, think of a concrete project you'd like to use
> PG with. Share with us a brief synopsis of the project: the problem, the
> platform, the approach you'll think you'll take, and why you think PG
> might be a good fit. It should be something that will be fun, and
> perhaps a bit challenging for you.
Hi,
I'm interested in learning PG because I've worked primarily with
Oracle and MySQL and I would like to widen my knowledge base. My
background is programming in perl, python, and java. I've used sql
strictly to store and retrieve data. I would like to learn some
advance sql, data modeling, and database administration.
I have a weakness for garage sales and have manage to amass quite a
collection of treasures. Some people call it junk but what do they
know! I'd like to create a database to list information about all of
my antiques, add search functionality to the db, and maybe even add a
blog feature.
--Tricia
--Tricia
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:14:11 -0800
From: maiki <maiki at interi.org>
Subject: Re: [Courses] [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL?
To: courses at linuxchix.org
Message-ID: <47433203.6020309 at interi.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Valorie Zimmerman wrote:
>
> My favorite music player, Amarok, is now set up with SQLite, but I do have
> a
> very large music collection, and think either MySQL or Postgres would
> probably be more stable than the default. Reading the howtos of installing
> and setting PG were daunting, however.
>
> Perhaps with the help of this course, I'll be able to set it up and get it
> working with my music collection (14280 Tracks, 1249 Artists, 1159 Albums
> according to Amarok).
>
That is an awesome idea! I had forgotten about that, Amarok is really
cool, and I want to setup PG for my music library. I am going to do
that, too. ^_^
>> The project is important. It's been my experience that it's much easier
>> to learn something when you have a concrete need, than just doing
>> something in the abstract.
>
> I hope this is a realistic use of the course.
>
> Valorie
> http://www.last.fm/user/valoriez/ on last.fm
maiki
http://www.last.fm/user/maikiinteri/
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:50:57 -0800
From: Liz Young <liz at kandew.com>
Subject: Re: [Courses] [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL?
To: courses at linuxchix.org
Message-ID: <200711201150.57238.liz at kandew.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
On Monday 19 November 2007 18:26:11 Michelle M wrote:
> - Give us a brief intro to yourself, and why you are taking this course
I'm Liz and I've been lurking around LinuxChix for a long time. I figured
there would be a lot of smart people participating in this course, so here I
am lurking again :-).
> - If you haven't already, think of a concrete project you'd like to use
> PG with. Share with us a brief synopsis of the project: the problem, the
> platform, the approach you'll think you'll take, and why you think PG
> might be a good fit. It should be something that will be fun, and
> perhaps a bit challenging for you.
I am helping a friend track orders in OOCalc for one specific vendor. I'd
like
to put this into a database so it's easier to track and report. It's all
Linux here, but we do interface quite frequently with Windows users and
Excel
spreadsheets. I don't know if PG is a good fit, but I want to start
somewhere.
Also, I have an install of LedgerSMB that is not getting used much. The more
I
understand about PG (and Perl) the better.
-Liz
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:06:15 +0200
From: Kallio <kallio at pp.htv.fi>
Subject: Re: [Courses] [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL?
To: courses at linuxchix.org
Message-ID: <20071121000615.b00d17b9.kallio at pp.htv.fi>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
> - Give us a brief intro to yourself, and why you are taking this course
Hi everyone,
I'm Petra and I just found LinuxChix a few weeks ago. I am a Linux hobbyist,
who started using Linux 4-5 years ago because the open source idea could
make the world a better place, and because I wanted to annoy Bill Gates, as
I used to tell people (later Gates made impressive donations to charity but
I was already in too deep ;)). Currently I have Fluxbuntu 7.10 in my desktop
computer, which I will probably be using for this course (though my pride
and joy is a workable Debian Etch installation in an old Pentium II laptop
with 128 MB RAM and 4 GB hard drive).
I am taking this course because I would like to get a basic understanding of
databases and database management. From my point of view it would not
necessarily have to be Postgresql, but after this course I will naturally
tell everyone that it is the best there is :).
> - If you haven't already, think of a concrete project you'd like to use
> PG with.
I am working on a PhD dissertation in socio-cultural anthropology, and I am
hoping I could build a database out of (some part of) my research data. A
lot of my data is in the form of long text documents but some of it is in
Excel spreadsheets, which I could hopefully use for this project. My
dissertation is in a relatively final writing stage, so this is more a hobby
(but a hobby with which I can justify spending time on learning Linux...)
Cheers,
Petra
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:48:42 +1100
From: "Claudine Chionh" <claudinec at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Courses] [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL?
To: courses at linuxchix.org
Message-ID:
<af2ec41b0711201748o420dbf3fg805afd04cf0e18ab at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Nov 20, 2007 1:26 PM, Michelle M <michelle at murrain.net> wrote:
> - Give us a brief intro to yourself, and why you are taking this course
Claudine from Melbourne, Australia. I've been a member of Linuxchix
for a few years but have recently started drinking the Mac Kool-Aid
again. However, Postgres is cross-platform so that shouldn't be a
problem here.
I work for an epidemiology/biostatistics research unit, helping
medical researchers manage their data. Most of this is done with
proprietary Windows-based database and statistical software. I think I
have a very basic grasp of general SQL concepts, but I don't have much
opportunity to use it at work. I also know a little Perl.
> - If you haven't already, think of a concrete project you'd like to use
> PG with.
Books! :-) I have accounts on the following web services:
- Librarything, a "social" catalogue of some of the books I own
- Bookmooch, a book-swapping system
- Bookcrossing, a random book releasing and tracking system
I'd like to develop a generic book-tracking database that includes
books that I own (and either have or have not read), books that I want
to read (and/or own), books that I've borrowed, lent, given away or
released in the wild, and I'm sure there are other possibilities. So
there will be a few different tables in the database, one for books,
perhaps one for authors, and other tables for ownership status,
read/unread status, and maybe links to the online services. (So I
could say, e.g., I read this book last year and left a copy on a park
bench in Melbourne. This part could be too ambitious, though.)
--
Claudine Chionh
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:18:28 -0800
From: Cynthia Kiser <cnk at ugcs.caltech.edu>
Subject: Re: [Courses] [Postgresql] What is PostgreSQL?
To: courses at linuxchix.org
Message-ID: <20071121041827.GA15139 at ugcs.caltech.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Quoting Michelle M <michelle at murrain.net>:
> I have two questions for you to send in your answers to the list, if you
> wish:
> - Give us a brief intro to yourself, and why you are taking this course
I am a web applicaton developer, sysadmin, and DBA. My main background
is Oracle but I have a couple of sites that use MySQL and Postgres. My
medium to long term plan is to move everything to use Postgres because
I think it is the right balance between features and complexity for my
needs. I mostly want to improve my Postgres DBA skills.
> - If you haven't already, think of a concrete project you'd like to use
> PG with. Share with us a brief synopsis of the project: the problem, the
> platform, the approach you'll think you'll take, and why you think PG
> might be a good fit. It should be something that will be fun, and
> perhaps a bit challenging for you.
Lots of Ruby on Rails content management systems hosted on RH linux.
--
Cynthia N. Kiser
------------------------------
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