[ale] [EXTERNAL] Re: In case you missed it

JEFFREY LIGHTNER jc.lightner at comcast.net
Thu Oct 8 11:51:33 EDT 2020


I got my start doing spreadsheets in Lotus 123 Version 1.A when I was in Accounting.   One can do fairly sophisticated modeling and programming within spreadsheets but even I knew when to move to a database tool.

Paradox anyone?  :D

Back in the 80s if one submitted a hand written form with calculations on it, any errors were immediately pointed out by at least one recipient..  However as things moved to spreadsheets printed out people would assume they were completely correct because "computers don't make mistakes" and not notice very obvious issues caused by bad formulas or just bad input.   GIGO is real.



>     On 10/07/2020 7:06 PM Jim Kinney via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
> 
> 
>     BWAHAHAHA!!!
> 
>     crash....
> 
>     On October 7, 2020 3:17:31 PM EDT, DJ-Pfulio via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
> 
>         > > 
> >         But, but, but I can connect to the 5TB production Informix DB
> >         with Excel using an ODBC driver.  That's completely awesome!
> > 
> >         What?  You mean when I do that, production transaction rates drop
> >         80%? No way! I don't believe you.
> > 
> >         /s
> > 
> > 
> >         On 10/7/20 2:33 PM, Beddingfield, Allen via Ale wrote:
> > 
> >             > > > I've been fighting the "a spreadsheet is not a database, and Access
> > >             is not much better" war for about 25 years.
> > > 
> > > 
> > >         > > 
> > 
> >         From: Ale
> > 
> >             > > > <ale-bounces at ale.org> on behalf of Pete Hardie via Ale <ale at ale.org>
> > >             Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 2020 1:26 PM To: Jim Kinney; Atlanta
> > >             Linux Enthusiasts Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [ale] In case you missed
> > >             it
> > > 
> > >             Once again, I repeat my frequent assertion that a spreadsheet is not
> > >             a database, and your admin assistant probably does not have a
> > >             CS/Programming degree
> > > 
> > >             On Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 2:19 PM Jim Kinney via Ale
> > >             <ale at ale.org<mailto:ale at ale.org>> wrote: Excel blew up in the faces
> > >             of UK healthcare.
> > > 
> > >             https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/05/excel_england_coronavirus_contact_error/
> > > 
> > >         > >         ---------------------------------------------
> > 
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> >     > 
>     --
>     Computers amplify human error
>     Super computers are really cool_______________________________________________
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