Thursday 16 July 2009

Inaugural post



Hello World. My name's Scott Wesley and I'm a Oracle Database Consultant & Trainer with Sage Computing Services. We're based in Perth, Australia - the most isolated capital in the world.

I'm a huge fan of most things PL/SQL, involved in ETL, Forms & Apex projects. I'm a frequent contributer to the Australian Oracle User Group and enjoy presenting on niche topics. My past presentations are coalesced here.

My aim with this blog is to become more involved in our Oracle Community, and share various snippets I encounter day-to-day and have stored in my back catalogue of randomness. No doubt I'll want to share my perspective on various Oracle news and I'll have the occasional insight and will to post something larger.

When deciding on a name for this blog I had a few choices:
  • Use my own name - for some people I think that works rather well. Some people gathered some form of identity before they started blogging, so their name can become similar to a brand.
  • Refer to an Oracle product - I didn't want to pin myself to one particular product. While I consider myself a PL/SQL developer, I also use Forms, Apex etc. Over time all of us might migrate into other product lines. If I so chose to rabble about something Oracle, I wouldn't feel out of place.
  • Do something else - I like to be different. There are some successful blogs out there (Oracle and otherwise) whose name doesn't obviously reflect the content involved.

I chose Triangle Circle Square because I can reflect on my training in budo. When you meet some form of adversary, we need to confront them in a strong triangular stance. For many techniques we'd pivot around in some form of circular movement then finish in a strong squatting stance that whose posture resembles a square.

Triangle - beginning of all forms; Circle - infinite; Square - 10000 things / the Universe. Read from right to left we start with the infinite basis of everything; the triangle as the beginning of some tangible form; then the triangle doubled into a square. This overlaps to infinity.

In the Oracle world we meet a problem. This always contributes to the learning process. Regardless of whether it's a problem we've faced before, or a new challenge - it will contribute to our ongoing learning process. Strengthening good paths, weakening poor ones. This is my triangle.

We then need to define a solution. Awareness is important - where to look for documentation, who to ask, what knowledge to reference. Iteration always helps to refine this solution. This is my circle.

Then of course we need to finish the job, and do it in an efficient manner. I'm always keen to apply all the little techniques I'm familiar with to ensure my code is as efficient as I can make it. Small things alone don't make your software fast, but lots of small things added together save you a tuning headache later on. This is my square.

The artwork in the heading of my blog is from a painting by a fellow who lived on the island known as Japan in the 18th century. Much can be interpreted from this philosopher's doodling - the rough English translation of this painting is "Universe". David Suzuki comments on it well, but many like to contemplate for themselves and build their own interpretation.

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
- Confucious

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