September 2nd, 2024

How Postgres Is Misused and Abused in the Wild

Karen Jex highlighted at PGConf.dev that PostgreSQL misuse stems from inadequate documentation and understanding. Educating users on best practices is essential to improve user experience and address knowledge gaps.

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How Postgres Is Misused and Abused in the Wild

production, users may misuse PostgreSQL due to a lack of understanding or inadequate documentation. Karen Jex, a Senior Solutions Architect and PostgreSQL Europe board member, shared insights from her experiences at PGConf.dev in Vancouver, highlighting common misuses of PostgreSQL. Users often implement workarounds when the desired functionality is not available or when they cannot find the necessary information. Jex emphasizes the importance of understanding user motivations behind their actions, as these can reveal gaps in documentation or training resources. Instead of simply advising against certain practices, she advocates for educating users on best practices and suggesting alternatives. The talk also addresses the broader issue of tool misuse, drawing parallels with other software failures, such as the infamous Excel error that led to the loss of COVID-19 test results in England. Jex stresses that not all users are database experts, and many developers lack foundational database knowledge, which can lead to improper use of PostgreSQL. The goal is to improve user experience by addressing these knowledge gaps and enhancing the tools available within the PostgreSQL ecosystem.

- Users often misuse PostgreSQL due to lack of understanding or inadequate documentation.

- Educating users on best practices and suggesting alternatives is crucial.

- Misuse can reveal gaps in documentation and training resources.

- Not all users are database experts, leading to improper use of tools.

- Improving user experience requires addressing knowledge gaps in the PostgreSQL ecosystem.

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By @Waterluvian - 5 months
Is “Solutions Architect” a thing?

I thought it was just what the azure sales team was calling the developer they brought into a meeting to propose gluing together cloud services. But now I’ve seen it elsewhere.