In the last exciting episode, dpage@vale-housing.co.uk ("Dave Page") wrote:
>> But then dbas will block off access to that db, or drop it and
>> we're back to square one...
>
> That's their choice though, and it would then be up to them to
> provide an alternative for their users (there's nothing to stop them
> doing the same with template1 iirc). At least we would have a
> standard, non-template database for utilities to connect to, whose
> purpose could be documented.
At one time, it was uncommon to have "computing sites" that did not
have some sort of "priesthood" of system operators that would be
formally responsible for managing the local environment.
They would do things like:
- Install TeX and LaTeX, in some common area, and provide a "Local Users' Guide To Using TeX and LaTeX" that might
even tell you which printers to use, and in what rooms you can find the TeX-compatible printers...
- Install all sorts of *supported* system extensions, commonly under /usr/local
In an environment with that sort of staffing, it surely is reasonable
to anticipate that these (usually harassed) heroes might set up a
PostgreSQL instance with a "generic" default database of this sort.
Today, many users are in environments where there is no DBA, there is
no "system administrator," there is no one that really understands
their computer system.
What we provide as a default ought to try to be suited to both of
those purposes, and it is unsafe to assume either the presence or
absence of a DBA, as both are common conditions...
--
let name="cbbrowne" and tld="gmail.com" in String.concat "@" [name;tld];;
http://cbbrowne.com/info/slony.html
Editing is a rewording activity.
-- Alan Perlis
[And EMACS a rewording editor. Ed.]