SQL Server and Data Life Musings.

For this edition of T-SQL Tuesday #36, Chris Yates (Blog | Twitter) has put forth the following, “What does the SQL Server community mean to you?”  Truth be told, I’d much rather have a technical question to ponder and elaborate on.  However, after lamenting on the ever-growing SQL Server community and all it has done, this question did in fact make me stop and think about the community as a whole – not just as an encyclopedia of knowledge, but as a network of SQL professionals.

This idea of a network of SQL professionals extends beyond what’s on its face.  Sure, people in the same profession often make friends and acquaintances with others and share common interests among them.  Likewise, the extent to which SQL professionals network encompasses sharing of knowledge, stories (the good and the ugly), resources (both people and technology), tools, time, and passion.  I especially identify with the last one – passion.  It is out of sheer passion that many SQL Server professionals take active parts in the community and continue to contribute free of charge.  Never have I found a community so dedicated to keeping that passion alive.

Association with such a passionate and driven community can really set one apart from the rest.  Being involved in the SQL Server community shows that you are committed to increasing your knowledge and experience through trials and errors.  It also demonstrates leadership skills as well as a willingness to collaborate as part of a team.  Plus, being engaged in the SQL Server community puts you ahead of the curve when it comes to new releases of SQL tools from the community.

In closing, let me say that I am very happy and privileged to work within an industry that promotes and fosters free knowledge, opportunities, and a passion for developing rock-solid data solutions.  Together, we all can move further, forward, faster (pun intended ).