I used to hate SQL when I was a backend engineer. I had difficulties understanding exactly this mental model and tried to avoid writing SQL by using ORMs. At some point I “accidentally” switched to data engineering and was forced to get to grips with SQL. I think that in the meantime I warmed up to a functional programming style which helped me to some extent.
The thing that trips everyone is that you cannot explain the SQL outputs. In sequential code, you can step through and understand why the logic error produced erroneous output.
With SQL, it is a trial and error. When your query passes your sniff tests, you sign looks good to me, and you ship it to the world. Only to silently break shortly afterwards without any warning.
In enterprise, I am convinced at this point that all of the complex ETL jobs are vending wrong outputs. Just nobody has the tools to diagnose and fix the problems.
Awesome - we'd love to have our CEO/CTO chat with you and your team if you're interested. Shoot me a note at mike.bilodeau @ baseten.co and I'll make it happen!
I can absolutely understand that. Even though I like my job as a software engineer, I can always think of better things. I would rather have more time for family and friends, for hobbies (even if they overlap with my job) or for sports and health care.
But what I find worst is that the job will probably never get along with my own ideals or principles. I often have to solve problems at work in a way that I myself don't agree with. But it's not about what I want or think, but what the team and the employer wants. That's what annoys me the most.
I really have mixed feelings about that, but I am really curious to see what's happening.
Some people also experimented with some kernel modules written in Rust on FreeBSD.
If rust + linux is a success story, maybe FreeBSD could learn from it and adopt some ideas.
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