Links for the Week

Brent Ozar provided the inspiration for this blog post and the others that will follow. Essentially, the goal is to put together a list of the most interesting/entertaining links that I’ve found in the last week. If you’re easily offended by SQL Server, I suggest you turn away now. 5 Quick Tips for the Query Using the ‘Wrong’ Index – Quick tips from Jason Massie about making sure the ‘correct’ index is being used by the query engine. What is a ‘good’ SQLServerPedia article? – Brent covers what makes for a good article on SQLServerPedia. Shockingly, this covers what makes for any good technical article. Constraint Yourself! – Joe Celko put together a great introduction to the intricacies of using constraints not just for verifying data integrity but also to ensure that business rules are implemented in one place, in one way, and at one time. 7 Steps to Shameless (Successful) Self Promotion – Jeff Blankenburgcovers the basics of promoting your personal brand. Not just from the standpoint of having a better blog, but how to cultivate your brand and brand recognition offline too. Career Guidance: Become a More Successful IT Professional by Managing Your Own Personal Brand Within Your Organization – Brad M McGeheecovers the same topic from the standpoint of building your brand within your organization. But the same rules apply whether you’re building your brand inside your company or throughout the community as a whole. That’s it for this week.