James Mickens: Legendary Database Systems Talk

  • 12/5/2015
  • One-minute read

James Mickens’ “Computers Are a Sadness, I Am the Cure” remains a classic for anyone navigating the SQL vs. NoSQL debate. It skewers hype-driven architecture decisions while still surfacing genuine technical lessons.

Key Takeaways

  • Architecture decisions have trade-offs; don’t rely on buzzwords when choosing data stores.
  • Operational simplicity and clear failure modes often trump theoretical scalability.
  • Humour can defuse tension when discussing entrenched platform opinions across teams.
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