Instead of working, I blog.

This is the perfect topic to go along with what I wrote on my other blog today in The real difference between SQL Server and Oracle.

I just got an email from the producer of the new Kalen Delaney series on SQL Server giving me my press pass into the online content for this series. I've only watched the 1st 9mins so far and already it's exactly what I'm talking about in my other blog. Here's Kalen Delaney who writes one of the most successful series on SQL Server (the other one is by the late Ken Henderson. I still have a hard time saying that), and she's going the extra mile to put her book into a video training series where she explains the concepts herself.
I, like many other people learn better when things are explained to me than I do from a lifeless page. And Kalen's an experienced teacher so she has a way of explaining things that make you just get it. Already in this video she's already covered security of metadata and the sys schema. She's actually explaining how this stuff fits together from the ground up. That's how it's done. I have no doubt that the rest of the series will contain the same deep-level understanding.

I think I'm going to enjoy this series and I'll try to write-up a full report when I'm done. Or maybe I'll just do it as I go along.

OK, so here's the link to the site. You can order the DVD or you can watch it online. It's good stuff. Seriously, go check it out if you haven't.
I was recently chatting with Kalen in email and she told me that this is basically the course she teaches when she's brought into a company to teach a class.

Actually, I didn't mean this to be an official interview, but I'm going to go ahead and paste her email here. I'm sure she won't mind (at least I hope not) and she explains it better than I would anyway. I typically don't post emails without asking first, but she knows who I am and she answered my questions like she was being interviewed, so this one time I'm going to do it. But you'll almost never see me take this liberty.

1. What material will this first DVD cover…

You can get information about my course here: http://www.insidesqlserver.com/Course%20Description%20and%20Outline.htm
The first DVD covers most of what is in Module 1.

2. What format will it take… will be be a group of slides and whitepapers, or screencast instruction by you…

The DVD will be a mixture of live capture of me talking, and screen captures of my slides and my demos.


3. Who all is involved in the project…

I am recording the class that I have been presenting all over the world for the last several years. Chuck Boyce, of AskaSQLGuru.com is doing the filming and editing. The business side is being managed by Peter Ward of www.WardyIT.com in Brisbane, Australia


4. How often can we expect to see a new DVD come out…

Since I have to fly to New York for filming, we are only able to do about one a month. In fact, I am just about to leave for the airport for the second round of filming.


5. What advantage will one have in ordering these over just getting the books…

Different people learn in different ways. If you like to hear and see someone explaining concepts, this can add to the benefit of the books. People pay a lot of money to attend my classes, but since I’m only one person, I can’t offer them that often. The DVDs are a chance to for anyone, anywhere to get to take my class. If you can read and absorb everything in the books on your own, the DVDs might not offer anything more.

So again, here's the link to SQLServerDVD.com.