Tune to DM Radio Thursday: Modeling What Matters – Data Modeling Throughout, Beyond the Enterprise

This Thursday, 20 September 2012, I’ll be joining a great group of data professionals to talk about balancing the need for project speed with data modeling efforts.  This is a topic near an dear to heart — I’m developing courseware right now for advanced data modeling concepts on modern development efforts.  DM Radio, hosted by Eric Kavanagh and Jim Ericson, is always a fun and thoughtful take on modern IT practices.  Plus a few of us are known for our snarkish insights into the data world.

The value of data modeling continues to grow in new directions. This is partly due to the lure of cloud computing, but also because of the increasingly interconnected world of enterprise partnerships. As always, the need for speed and efficiency prevails, as well as the desire to reduce redundancy and thus provide a clean view of an organization’s information architecture. Fine-tuning Master Data Models is another goal of the modern enterprise. What to do? Register for this episode of DM Radio to hear Hosts Eric Kavanagh and Jim Ericson interview data modeling expert Karen Lopez of DAMA, plus Donna Burbank of CA Technologies, David Dichmann of SAP Sybase and Lovan Chetty of Kalido

Registration is required, but it’s free.  Chat with you on Thursday!

7 Mistakes You *CAN* Afford to Make

I just saw that my article on Enterprise Data Modeling: 7 Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make at Information Management magazine was on their list of the Top 10 Stories of 2011.    In fact, it made it to the top five stories. My friend Corey Smith ( blog | @heycorey ) then took it upon himself to ask

I’d like to know the 7 mistakes I *can* afford to make, so I can stop worrying about them?

He wasn’t specific about whether he meant in enterprise data management or not, so I’m responding in general. These are all mistakes, but one can afford to make them, in moderation.

1. Peanut butter: I’m not a fan of it, especially when it’s hidden in other stuff like pretzels and vodka
2. Rounding Up:  Mathy people say that you should round up sometimes and round down other times.  And sometimes you don’t.  I say, make everyone happy and round up, right?
3. Non-Alcoholic Beer:  I have to say that this stuff is usually quite bad, which is why it is a mistake.  But sometimes you need to have a beer and this is all they will let you drink. Like at lunch in the US or between real beers in the rest of the world.
4. Twitter Grammar: 140 chars is some*s 2 short 2 say something 1derful.
5. Running: What can I say?  I do it, and I want to do it more. It always feels like a mistake when I start doing it.  But I can afford to do more.
6. Bacon: I prefer the veggie kind.  Others don’t.  We both feel as if the other is making a mistake.  That’s okay.
7. February: It’s post holiday season, it’s not really spring and hardly anyone can pronounce it correctly.  But everyone has to do it.

So there you go, Corey,  your list.

Everyone else, go check out my article as well as all the other Top Stories in from Information Management.