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Show HN: I wrote a free eBook about many lesser-known/secret database tricks

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Re: Show HN: I wrote a free eBook about many lesser-known/secret database tricks

#161

Post by fefe23 »

Maybe it's me but I wasn't shown a free ebook. I was shown a "give me you PII so I can spam you" trap website.

If you ask me to give you my PII then it's not free, is it?

Are you not aware how many "free ebook" spams are being sent around, usually from disreputable SEO people begging you to link them from your site? The fact that you registered your own domain is another deep red flag. Clearly there are ulterior motives here aside from "I want to help the world by putting our a free ebook".

Re: Show HN: I wrote a free eBook about many lesser-known/secret database tricks

#162

Post by ThisIsTheWay »

fefe23 wrote: post #161

Maybe it's me but I wasn't shown a free ebook. I was shown a "give me you PII so I can spam you" trap website. If you ask me to give you my PII then it's not free, is it? Are you not aware how many "free ebook" spams are being sent around, usually from disreputable SEO people begging you to link them from your site? The fact that you registered your own domain is another deep red flag. Clearly there are ulterior moti…

Is it really that hard to use a burner email?

Re: Show HN: I wrote a free eBook about many lesser-known/secret database tricks

#163

Post by Pamar »

RheingoldRiver wrote: post #138
Pamar wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(I am Not the OP) Not exactly from 0, maybe, but I strongly suggest this book: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/the-art-of/0596008945/

If you're really starting out from square 1, I might read this book first: https://www.amazon.com/Database-Design-Mere-Mortals-Annivers... (although I read an earlier edition). The Art of SQL is a great book, but I wish I'd read something a bit...easier...first, lol. I struggled with it.

Yeah well, I am old school (or at least old) so I had already a good grasp of SQL, but I think the book is good because it explains overarching concepts very well.

Re: Show HN: I wrote a free eBook about many lesser-known/secret database tricks

#164

Post by fefe23 »

ThisIsTheWay wrote: post #162
fefe23 wrote: post #161

Maybe it's me but I wasn't shown a free ebook. I was shown a "give me you PII so I can spam you" trap website. If you ask me to give you my PII then it's not free, is it? Are you not aware how many "free ebook" spams are being sent around, usually from disreputable SEO people begging you to link them from your site? The fact that you registered your own domain is another deep red flag. Clearly there are ulterior moti…

Is it really that hard to use a burner email?

It's not about being asked for an email. It's about being lied to.

You wouldn't be OK with the New York Times writing that Putin died of a heart attack when it's not true. Why would you be OK with this kind of deception then?

If I click on your link, I took a leap of faith on you. If I then find out that you lied to me, you made my day worse and innocent bystanders like the next guy who actually did have a free ebook will get take the damage.

He could have truthfully said: Show HN: Ebook here but you'll have to enter an email address. Then I wouldn't have clicked and we wouldn't be having this discussion now. I suspect the link wouldn't have been upvoted enough to appear on the front page either.

Also note that if I use a burner account from some spam catching service, I'm externalising my damage on to them. They might be OK with that but it's still shitty behavior on my part. So I don't use throwaway accounts. It's a moral thing. You don't litter in the park. You leave it cleaner than how you found it.

Re: Show HN: I wrote a free eBook about many lesser-known/secret database tricks

#166

Post by rvba »

nabakin wrote: post #59
pubby wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not exactly free if they're asking something in return.

YouTube asks you to watch ads, but we still consider it to be free. Many mobile games make you create an account (and provide your email) before you can play but we still consider them free because you don't have to give any money. That's the definition here: don't have to pay money = free. This ebook is free

Hackers from "hacker news" know how to install adblock, so they dont have to see ads on youtube.

Re: Show HN: I wrote a free eBook about many lesser-known/secret database tricks

#167

Post by edmundsauto »

cdrini wrote: post #76

I get the frustration about the email, but that aside, I do wonder whether requiring the email before getting the book is the most effective mechanism for your end goal. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to maximize the number of people subscribed? Do you want to create a community? Why do you want these things? Do you want to share your knowledge? Having no email-wall would probably result in fewer registrati…

"Create a list of people who want to receive database tips via email" is almost a tautology at this point, but seems like a reasonable objective.

Also is a good way to weed out people who want just a 1-way relationship. I, for one, wouldn't care about not distributing my knowledge to people who aren't even willing to drop their email in exchange. Those people want something but aren't willing to give me anything - that feels really greedy.

Building an audience is incredibly difficult. People who don't want to be in my audience - I'm totally fine if they don't get access to my stuff.

Re: Show HN: I wrote a free eBook about many lesser-known/secret database tricks

#168

Post by AdrianB1 »

sandreas wrote: post #36

Awesome, thank you. If you are on Microsoft SQL Server I additionally recommend to take a look at Brent Ozars sp_blitz[1] script collection and the according youtube series. Many optimizations apply for other databases, too. [1]: https://www.brentozar.com/blitz/

Or even contribute with code: https://github.com/BrentOzarULTD/SQL-Server-First-Responder-...

Re: Show HN: I wrote a free eBook about many lesser-known/secret database tricks

#169

Post by AdrianB1 »

The tricks for MySQL and Postgres are very different than MS SQL; some exist in a different form, some have no equivalent. It would be useful to have a side by side for all major flavors of SQL, Oracle included.

LE. Almost nothing is applicable for MS SQL; some stuff is built into T-SQL, so there is no need for tricks, others have completely different solutions.

Re: Show HN: I wrote a free eBook about many lesser-known/secret database tricks

#170

Post by ThisIsTheWay »

fefe23 wrote: post #164
ThisIsTheWay wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it really that hard to use a burner email?

It's not about being asked for an email. It's about being lied to. You wouldn't be OK with the New York Times writing that Putin died of a heart attack when it's not true. Why would you be OK with this kind of deception then? If I click on your link, I took a leap of faith on you. If I then find out that you lied to me, you made my day worse and innocent bystanders like the next guy who actually did have a free ebook…

First, the word free is most frequently interpreted as not costing money, which in this case is completely true. Second, your comparison to a false claim by the NYT is absurd.

All you had to do was close the tab and move on. I can't imagine getting through life making this big a deal on such a minor inconvenience. Good luck out there.

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