gifts

As a rule, I like to teach myself software. This is inefficient. It means I get to the end result by trial and error.

But I learn it, and eventually start to pick up its logic.

Databases, as a rule, are counter-intuitive. Maybe I should rephrase that statement. They are counter-intuitive to me.

They structure their worlds in a specific way so that they can be precise. And if you never learn the structure, it is hard to figure out how to make them precise.

I've been using this software for two years. I've stumbled through it. I've painstakingly gotten some things from it.

But mostly I've been frustrated, because it is highly rated in my field and my colleagues and I were ignoring much of its functions. It's like having a big car and never getting it out of 2nd gear.

I got this training approved earlier this year and I am excited. Each day has been opening up a little gift, explaining how the software is structured, how it thinks, why and how it makes its logical decisions. Very cool to at least know how to read the road map.