Narnain

I came across a post from Claudia Imhoff.  I totally agree that in some cases cleaning data also destroys some of information that can be derived from dirty data, and can destroy the audit trail.

I usually insist on the option of minimal duplicates, this is always useful when converting things like dates and numbers from flat files, especially as the flat file data type is usually character based and that conversion process is rarely 100% reliable either due to dirty data such as 31 Feb 2007, or poor meta-data, is 05/04/2007 the 5th March 2007 or 4th May 2007.  Depending on the localisation of the tool generating the data it could be either.

I really like the sound of ABC tables and would like to hear from anyone with experience of implementing this, or if anyone knows of any tools for achieving such a solution.

If like me you could not make it along to the SQLBits conference, you do not have to completely miss out as the slide are all available here

Having started my life in AI and programming using PROLOG and LISP, I am please to see this announcement that not only F# going to continue to evolve and feed into mainstream programming, such as the new LINQ features of .NET 3.5, but is going to become a fully supported visual studio based language.

For those of you who have tried to install iTunes on Vista many of you will be aware of the awful "error code 2738", which a quick browse over the Internet point out that VBScript is disabled by default in Vista.  An effort from Microsoft to shut down functionality that is commonly abused by virus writers.

This being a smart move towards a more secure operating system you thing large vendors such as Apple and Adobe (apparently Photoshop CS3 has a similar issue), would be falling into line with it.

Apple have acknowledged the bug and give the following workaround here;

Windows Vista

1. On the Start menu, click All Programs.
2. Click Accessories.
3. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator from the shortcut menu.
4. When the User Account Control dialog appears, click Continue.
5. At the command prompt type the following:
   regsvr32 vbscript.dll
6. Press Enter on your keyboard.
7. A message should appear stating "DllRegisterServer in vbscript.dll succeeded."
8. Click OK and try installing iTunes or QuickTime again.

Yes their solution really is to open that security hole Microsoft decided to shut down.

CoderJournal does a much better job of describing this as he also explains how to shut it back down.  His guidance is specifically for those 64bit users out there, find it here, but it easily translates to 32bit as well.  The main difference being 64 bit users need to register VBScript from the SysWOW64 directory and not the usual system32.

Oh, and if you run regsvr32 /u vbscript.dll when you are finished your OS is returned back to the state it should be in!

After the flurry of two posts some time ago, I have not managed to post anything for ages, so why do I have a weblog!

Some people use them as an online diary where people can see what "interesting" things they have been up to.  Some people use them to share information about topics that really interest them.  Some people use them for pointing to interesting content other people have produced.  Looking back over my pervious posts I have used this weblog for all of the above.

Originally I set it up, just because I could!  Hence the reason there are only a handful of posts here.  There are really two ways I could take this weblog now.  I could use it to be the oracle on a specialised topic, such as SQL Server, SSAS/SSRS/SSIS, C#, F#, MDX, Prolog, Artificial Intelligence, HPC, Web 2.0, Data Modeling, Business Value Models, Economics, Statistics, BI Architecture, SOA, SaaS, Running, Adventure Racing or any one of a hundred other topics that I am interested in.  There is my problem, I am a generalist.  I know lots about lots, but never everything about something.  I enjoy putting different concepts together and seeing what can be done with them.

The most appropriate way for me to use this blog then is to post on the various topic that interest me and help guide people to the specialists in those areas, and hopefully generate some fresh ideas on what those topics mean to various people.

I have the tools and I have a plan, now in the world of weblogs "content is king", so I need to get on with writing something interesting!

I completed the Paris Marathon last sunday in a time of 4:42.  This was my first attempt at a marathon, but I have feeling it wont be the last.

I have decided to try out msn spaces, let's see how it goes.  I'm pretty sure it won't help me post more often