DISQUS

Mate,

With all due respect, Microsoft did not design or build MS SQL.

They had a long and sad history with an existing DBMS vendor, where they (MS) wound up with the previous version of MS SQL.

Adding some polish and some problems to an existing code base is not the same as having produced the thing in the first place.

Having used and deployed a great many database systems over the years, on a great many different (Non MS) platforms, I can authoritatively state that MS SQL, as at 2008, is no great shakes.

However, having said that, neither is Oracle, or some notable others.

They all have their problems, quirks, shortcomings and odd behaviours.

Sadly, although I am no fan of the Microsoft product, I am also no fan of most of the competition, or the wanna be's.

The reason for this sad attitude is simple. As you have noticed, no one wants to truly own their product.

Once apon a time, when you put your name to something, you also made sure that it wouldn't embarrass you.
If it did, it was quickly and quietly fixed.

Sadly, for many vendors, such a concept is as alien as respecting their customers.

Until the IT industry stops referring to it's client base as users, a distinction shared only with the Medellin drug cartel Drug cartels, such sad oversights will continue.

The moral of this ramble is simple, respect your client base, respect yourself, respect your tools and take pride in what you create with them.

For those that fail to understand this, understand this. We will all continue to suffer.
For those of us who suffer to much, we tend to change vendors, usually to those that make us suffer less.