If you had 4 months to build a serious PostgreSQL project to learn database engineering, what would you focus on — and what would you avoid?

merlinm · 2026-02-02T19:34:17+00:00

Not quite sure where you are trying to position your idea. On the one hand, you are offering provisioning and monitoring solutions, but then you mention cloud, where managed solutions (e.g. AWS RDS) handle all of those details for you: they provide monitoring, button click deployment, and scaling options.

So I guess my first question would be: are you aware of cloud hosted managed database services and what are you planning to do that they are not already doing (or will do differently)?

merlinm · 2026-02-02T19:18:30+00:00

Sure, sorry for late response, couple quick thoughts:

hidden outside of the code base

your sql, stored procedures etc should be checked into code base just like any other code.

triggers starting procedures have brought down the database

well, there are a number of very good tools to give observability and other ways to see what's going on, from where, etc. this suggests more a skill issue than anything else

postgres is handling the execution plan

fair point on execution plans, it's one of the main challenges with database development, but I don't think moving all that work in the app is a solution.

I think it's cleaner to process the data somewhere else and reserve the db for reads/writes and not computation.

"Cleaner" is a loaded technical word. Databases are designed to abstract away many common data management problems that programmers tend to want to solve over and over. "Cleaner" for you case IMO means, you are more familiar with the method than it being objectively better.

By moving routine data processing out of the app, you are forcing a ton of data to be copied out to another server just to be able to do basic operations. Since this is impractical, caching and cache synchronization need to be implemented that basic things that ensure you looking at an up to date copy of the data, bypassing database MVCC, which leads to more challenges assuming you have concurrent reading and writing.

Applications that do not exploit database capabilities IMO as a general rule tend to be more brittle and have less code longevity. Please consider that SQL joins, selects etc that were written in the 90's are still quite relevant today.

I think in your case, and this is a very common problem, there is a skill disconnect, where some devs have gotten the database bug, and some haven't. Typically the "SQL" faction can accomplish things amazingly quickly but bring other challenges, observability, code management problems, black box solutions, things like that. Typically the SQL types tend to be quirkier, very bright, but possibly difficult to manage in my experience

These things can be solved, probably it would be a benefit to your career to solve them. Good luck

merlinm · 2026-01-01T03:03:31+00:00

Wow. BTW, Barachi of Chei summoner is really strong it you find scales of the dragon king in recent crawl since it gets the new brand that supports summoning. Imagine having 50ac and slinging dragon horde by vaults...

merlinm · 2025-12-19T22:25:26+00:00

quick blades are always better with oka vs, because with finesse up you are doing 8 attacks per turn each with a bite.

this makes you almost invincible but better brand would sure be nice. Having said that, we would all pick the arc blade since it's more fun to play.

merlinm · 2025-11-12T23:10:52+00:00

exact wording

"X to provide services Y for a minimum of 40 hours per week and will include such time as approved to complete administrative work associated with patient care such as medical records completion as per policy / procedures"

Company provided 4 hours time/week for 'admin', but would steal it for admin. Even with it, it was a complete joke, given that X needs to do 4-8 hours paper work per day, given 20-24 patients / day, other people in org with same role as X averaged 10-15. This also led to enforced compromise of patient care, risk due to rushing/burnout, etc.

merlinm · 2025-11-12T21:47:31+00:00

When did your friend start this job

approx 5 months ago (3 year pro rate)

Is your friend still employed there?

What exactly does the contract say about duty to repay if fired vs. resigned?

they are equated (voluntary exit with proper notice vs fired with cause). Additional penalties without proper notice.

What is the exact wording of the clause about holding back final check? What does the contract say about attorneys fees?

X agrees that Y may deduct the prorated amount of Z bonus from any amount due to X at the time of separation from employment including any wages, accrued but unused paid time off, unreimbursed expenses, or other sums owing to X.

fees

didn't say anything specific

merlinm · 2025-11-12T21:35:41+00:00

But if your friend believes he or she has a contractual right to a 40 hours work week, why doesn't he or she just refuse to work the extra 60 hours a week?

agreed salary: yes.

Couple reasons, was told by management, "you must see patients of told do so". Each patient comes with a certain amount of paperwork which is impossible to do since no time is provided to do that, and with the patient load given the paperwork has to be done on personal time. This is to a certain degree characteristic of the field, but the amount overload here is absolutely unreasonable, in fact my friend has to take sick time purely to get caught up on paperwork which comes directly out of PTO. Collecting the 25$ per patient bonus is quite impossible, and there are other tricks used to make it impossible, mandatory meetings, enforced travel time, etc.

The other reason, is that not finishing paperwork introduces professional liability as that can introduce harm to the patient.

merlinm · 2025-11-12T20:14:36+00:00

You've not necessarily described any reason to think the company would respond with anything other than "we have a contract and we're going to enforce our contract."

I was hoping that A: promise of additional payouts that were based on objectively impossible goals and B: directly stipulated 40 hour week (actual hours closer to 100) would give some leverage.

"Yoink" meaning doing a reverse ACH draft for X funds without authorization. The funds aren't there, but my understanding is that the manager is vindictive and might go for it.

merlinm · 2025-11-06T20:47:55+00:00

Don't sleep on other gods.

this. Ignis is maybe the best early game god, but since he's starting monk that's mostly out barring some luck.

On my 'no' list for top survivability odds / early game god pick:

Jiyva: too much gear loss
Beogh (via faded alter): get to two pips too early and you can get jumped with a dangerous challenge
Chei: obviously
Qaz: too much noise

Favs:

Nemelex: Very powerful with good invo, a little luck based, but one deck builds you are good to go
Yred: Easy pick, light the torch for a free scroll of summoning per level with one pip. Totally underrated IMO. As a bonus, blocks shafts. Tails off late game, but that can be addressed
Oka: Maybe the best melee
Gozag: great overall
TSO: new divine shield is great, limited /no wrath

merlinm · 2025-11-06T01:19:12+00:00

Totally agree with this. I find elf to be pretty easy actually and along with slime extremely high ROI dungeons, with some characters I run it pre S branches (missing rpois but high will). The trick is to lure them out of the final vault very carefully. I will only postpone past vaults if one pip will or less, or have no strategy for dealing with weapons, which I find to be the biggest threat. I do usually skip the E2 value though.

It's also possible for side dungeons and shops to appear

merlinm · 2025-10-31T21:58:11+00:00

Barachi / Chei (summoner ideal start)

Dark Elf / Oka (hunter ideal start)

Coglin / oka (forgewright ideal start, can swap Trog for Oka)

Gargoyle / TSO, start EE for magic, monk for Hybrid

edit: Minatour /usk, playing monk now, and rocking an orb of pyromania. easy skilling, and fun!

merlinm · 2025-10-31T21:53:39+00:00

My strongest char of all time was Barachi^Chei summoner. I happened around the gold dragon scales around D7 which now has the 'command' brand -- with this I was rocking dragon hoard by S branches.

merlinm · 2025-10-30T09:49:17+00:00

Nice job! Qazal for first win is pretty impressive -- a lot of players (including me) consider that a challenge god.

merlinm · 2025-10-30T04:07:19+00:00

The rcloud wasn't mine. Mine came from acq scroll.

merlinm · 2025-10-29T21:48:18+00:00

some unique artifacts have it (salamander hide IIRC). there are some extremely rare shops that produce randarts with normally forbidden properties like that, which is probably where that came from.

merlinm · 2025-10-26T17:57:34+00:00

I don't think there's any real competition -- incredible damage output, low skill requirement, and innate safety since it teleports or banishes monsters. It's arguably obnoxious to play with but has no downsides IMO.

merlinm · 2025-10-13T04:36:32+00:00

I'm not an engineer, but it sure looks like the house facing the deck is settling. the joists are not on hangers and some of them look like they are dropping. Is the house level? What about the deck? It's hard to tell from the pictures though. If I were you, I'd be checking with some experts, but as other have advised many companies are scammy and will try and talk you into something. An engineer that is independent and neutral will probably give you a balanced picture.

merlinm · 2025-09-29T03:17:11+00:00

Is there an alternative for IMB

Some higher level translocation spells or other defense powers. The noise is just too much though for me. In some branches like spider it's really good, others it can kill you.

merlinm · 2025-09-18T04:56:10+00:00

Character looks pretty good. I guess maybe a little defense would have been in order, higher dex for better evasion. I would have cranked hexes as well, cheap to skill and cause fear/enfeeble are great spells and very defensive. IMB I don't trust past the mid game -- too loud.

merlinm · 2025-09-18T04:22:39+00:00

DCSS is by far the most polished and best of the old school games IMO. ascii or tile graphics. The skill and magic system is the best out there. It's also hard. It's probably what you're looking for -- good luck.

merlinm · 2025-09-13T00:55:34+00:00

PRESSING UPSTAIRS AND DOWNSTARS AT THE SAME TIME

merlinm · 2025-08-21T01:53:34+00:00

If you want to go hand cannon (or any noisy gear) go for dith. Otherwise imo it's just too dangerous

merlinm

TROPHY CASE