[Name redacted] has a rather interesting point of view for a potential DBA. I have to say that this was one of the most edifying interviews I have ever had. I learned so many things including:

• the PGA is what works with disk buffers and the “large blocks”
• Oracle has discontinued Advanced Queuing in 10g (by the way, we really should contact a few of our clients, as they are foolishly attempting to use that tool in their production environments for the last several years)
• and I quote “the v$ views tell you where all the views in the database are while the x$ tables tell you where all of the tables in the database are”

At that point, I offered up a suggestion for how the v$ views might have slightly different information within them, I was criticized (correctly, I’m sure) in a rather … abrasive way (to be charitable).

But, [redacted]‘s pontifications do not end there. I’ve actually written the entirety of this response while sort of listening to him answer a single question: “Have you ever worked with SOA?”. I would have expected a two, maybe five word answer that may have led into a follow up, but not [redacted]; oh, no. It’s tome after tome of voluminous knowledge of questionable sourcing. He did, much to my incredulous amazement, admit that he didn’t know the answer to something. However, when I asked where he would look up the answer, he said he didn’t know (apparently, Google is beyond his keen).

And, in case you’re wondering, he built the Medicare database. As I thought I knew some of the folks who claimed to have done the work, yet another thing that I learned today.

I only wish I could have recorded this call to store in a museum for future generations to listen to and marvel at the wonders contained therein.

I think we should pass.

Tended to ramble during discussions and not answer the question asked.