Bravo! > I'm wondering if you analyzed your need for popcorn carefullly. You asked > for popcorn.. you got your popcorn. but perhaps you've been taken for a > ride. If we analyze your need carefully for an hour, what we could have > determined is that you truley wanted a 30 minute comedy show, and some > salt > - and -vinegar chips to go with it. Not popcorn at all. Perhaps the desire > for popcorn stemmed from your not correctly seeing your needs in the first > place. I feel its my duty to help you access the situtation so that you > get > what you need and not what you want. > > We could discuss this further privately, and I'm sure with all my > experience > in these situations that a 3 hour lunch break daily, with said included > comedies and chips will satisfy your needs more appropriately.. The > Popcorn > is just a bandaid. > > On Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 12:44 PM, David Brennan > <dugda...@dbsolutions.co.nz>wrote: > >> Mmmm, I'm enjoying my popcorn as I watch... >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: delphi-boun...@delphi.org.nz [mailto:delphi-boun...@delphi.org.nz] >> On >> Behalf Of Matthew Comb >> Sent: Tuesday, 18 January 2011 11:12 a.m. >> To: NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi List >> Subject: Re: [DUG] Validating CDS files >> >> > Those developers that came back with "TO DO" lists were perhaps >> themselves >> > not taking the time to understand the customers problems. The >> customer >> > told >> > them "those 10,000 features are great, but we'd really like X, Y and >> Z", >> > so >> > the developers simply came back to you with that list of "X, Y and Z". >> > >> > Far from analysing too much, they were most likely not analysing >> *enough*. >> >> What your argument does not take into account yet again (which was my >> point that was missed), is the time and money factor. If you have a 1 >> day >> or 2 day install, you do not have time to spend all 2 days taking on >> customer requests when the customer is not yet up to speed with the >> capabilities of the system. A customer often doesn't know what they need >> until they get to use the system, then their requirements frequently >> change. If you have unlimited time and money then by all means, spend >> every waking moment analysing each and every item raised, Cameron would >> probably tear his hair out. >> >> > >> > >> > That specialist you hired is most likely looking at the X, Y and Z and >> > then >> > asking the customer... "But what do you need X, Y and Z for?" then >> showing >> > them that they already HAVE X, Y and Z among the 10,000 other >> features. >> > >> > >> > That quite neatly demonstrates my point I think. Understand the >> > problem... >> > not only might the solution you are asking for not be ideal, but you >> might >> > already be in possession of the solution !!! >> > >> >> I don't think it does at all. >> >> > >> > >> > "I have a legacy piece of software which very very rarely corrupts a >> > local data file - fact" >> > >> > The real problem to be solved is how/why the corruption occurs... >> > everything >> > else is just sticking plaster, not a solution, and even the sticking >> > plaster >> > can only help if you apply the right sort of dressing correctly. >> >> Thats right, that is the root problem, but as this piece of software has >> been in the field for 8 years, and is being decommissioned, there isn't >> a >> lot of point in that is there. So a bandaid is more than adequate. >> >> > >> > >> > "Regardless of the better long term solutions, we will take >> > a defensive programming measure to protect against the loading >> > of corrupt files." >> > >> > And my point in this area was that unless you understand how/where the >> > corruption is occurring, the defensive measures you might take may >> very >> > well >> > end up not being defensive at all. >> >> If you validate a CDS file, and don't load it if it is corrupt. That is >> a >> defensive measure. >> >> > >> > e.g. the idea of checksuming the output from the server... if the >> data >> > coming from the server is corrupt from the get-go, then check-summing >> > helps >> > you not one little bit. >> > >> >> Agreed which is why I didn't ask about it. >> >> > >> > >> > You initially blamed the corruption on a flaky wifi connection - >> highly >> > unlikely for the reasons that I and others have explained. You then >> > explained that you were streaming the data, so the corruption might >> occur >> > in >> > sporadic bytes in the stream. >> >> I do not believe I did suggest the contents of the stream would be >> changed. What I said was that a TCP steam can be disconnected. this was >> yet another wild assumption on your part. If you send a 1GB file through >> a >> stream, it is NOT as Kyley suggested an All or Nothing approach. You are >> taking bytes into a stream. It is up to you whether or not you discard >> the >> stream based on a disconnection or not. That decision point is out of my >> control as it is Midas + DBX4MySQL which manages this. >> >> > >> > But then you seemed attracted to the idea of using XML as a potential >> way >> > forward, which would seem to contradict the streaming nature of the >> data >> > transmission. >> >> The incorrect assumption you made at the beginnning was that the CDS >> file >> was coming from the server as a file payload. Its not. The client is >> connecting to MySQL DB server directly. All suggestions and >> misunderstandings about hashing, file downloads, etc were based on that >> incorrect assumption. >> >> > >> > And now you admit: >> > >> > "I do not know yet where this corruption occurs. DB Server, >> Drivers, >> > In Memory, Saving of the file, Server DB." >> >> I don't, and it doesn't matter. Why ? Because at a rate of 1/10000 it is >> a >> manageable issue, and with the software being decommissioned it is good >> business sense to investigate the server mechanics. its better to >> bandaid >> and move on. >> >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > "Its not true to take the standpoint that if someone asks for the >> > solution >> > then they should be able to provide it e.g If I ask for Word 2010 >> > should >> > I be capable of sitting down and writing the application suite?" >> > >> > I didn't say that they *should* be able to provide it in the sense >> that >> > you >> > took it to mean - I said as to draw attention to the inherent >> > contradiction. >> > The only way you can confidently ask for a solution in the form of a >> > solution specification, without explaining the problem, is if you >> fully >> > understand the problem and *could* provide the solution yourself. In >> > which >> > case, you would never have needed to ask someone else to provide the >> > solution for you. >> >> Thats just rubbish. >> >> > >> > In other words, when someone asks for a solution, rather than stating >> a >> > problem, the likelihood is that they are asking for the wrong solution >> > from >> > the very start! >> >> Statistically probably correct more often than not, but still an >> arrogant >> assumption that the person is clueless / uninformed of possible >> solutions. >> >> Its also arrogant to assume you know everything abou the motivation and >> drivers as to why the person asked the question in the first place. >> >> For example in this case, the fact that the software is being >> decommissioned and the fact that its rarity does not make a server >> solution fiscally viable. >> >> > >> > >> > Your "Word 2010" example this is a quite different sort of request >> from >> > what >> > we are actually discussing (it's not a "technical solution" just a >> > shopping >> > list), never-the-less even this inappropriate parallel can be used to >> > illustrate the same point: >> > >> > >> > If you ask for Word 2010, should I just sell it to you simply because >> you >> > can't write it yourself ? >> >> That logic much like the rest of your logic is flawed. I did not say >> that >> you should sell it to me because I could not program it. You should sell >> it to me because I asked to buy it. >> >> I am asking to buy it, because I don't want to program it. >> >> > >> > Or should I first ask what you need it for.... ? >> > >> > If you tell me you want it for doing bulk emails, and you heard that >> Word >> > 2010 has some neat mail-merging capabilities, then I am pretty >> confident >> > that I can sell you a better solution for your needs than just handing >> > over >> > a copy of Word 2010. >> >> Again you are incorrectly assuming that the person asking the question >> is >> a retard. >> >> > >> > I could just give you what you want, but that may not be what you >> need. >> > >> >> Its not your decision to make. >> >> > >> > Incidentally, nobody "gave me" a blog. I created my blog in order to >> > share >> > my skills and experience and - if my stats are to be believed - many, >> many >> > people appreciate it. >> >> Actually I've found your blog to be very good and useful. I feel that if >> you reigned in the arrogance a tad, you might get places faster. >> >> > I gain some sense of satisfaction from the fact that people (well, >> *some* >> > people at least) seem to appreciate my effort, but it certainly >> doesn't >> > "go >> > to my head". >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi mailing list >> > Post: delphi@delphi.org.nz >> > Admin: http://delphi.org.nz/mailman/listinfo/delphi >> > Unsubscribe: send an email to delphi-requ...@delphi.org.nz with >> Subject: >> > unsubscribe >> > >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi mailing list >> Post: delphi@delphi.org.nz >> Admin: http://delphi.org.nz/mailman/listinfo/delphi >> Unsubscribe: send an email to delphi-requ...@delphi.org.nz with Subject: >> unsubscribe >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi mailing list >> Post: delphi@delphi.org.nz >> Admin: http://delphi.org.nz/mailman/listinfo/delphi >> Unsubscribe: send an email to delphi-requ...@delphi.org.nz with Subject: >> unsubscribe >> > > > > -- > Kyley Harris > Harris Software > +64-21-671-821 > _______________________________________________ > NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi mailing list > Post: delphi@delphi.org.nz > Admin: http://delphi.org.nz/mailman/listinfo/delphi > Unsubscribe: send an email to delphi-requ...@delphi.org.nz with Subject: > unsubscribe
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