The Database Doctor
Musing about Databases

About Thomas Kejser

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My name is Thomas Kejser - welcome to my site.

Most of my adult life (I was born in 1974), I have worked with databases and SQL. What you find on this site is going to reflect that. For those of you who don't know me - I can reveal a little about my background. Read on if this is interesting to you - or click on the links above (categories) and below (tags) to explore the site.

I currently work a 3-day work week - dedicating the rest of my time to blogging here and keeping my health in order.

If you are enjoying my blogs and want to keep me angrily posting on the Internet, you can support me on Patreon. That will also help me dedicate more time to writing code for general use - which I will license under GPL.

Programming Polyglot

My career started around 1981. My parents had the unusual foresight to gift me a Vic 20. I later saved up to buy it's big brother: the famous Commodore 64. I programmed in BASIC back then - with a bit of assembly thrown in. A little guy in Denmark hammering away at the keyboard, trying to make his own video games. Of course, back then computer programming was considered a hobby - not something you could make money doing.

Since then, I have graduated with a Master's degree in Computer Science (from Aarhus University Department of Computer Science) and learned several programming languages. I have written useful, widely deployed production code in many of them. That includes making significant contributions to the Yellowbrick Database Engine.

My experience has led me to believe that learning a new programming language is reasonably straightforward - and what really matters is data structures, algorithms and simple designs. Good Code is Good Code - no matter what language you write it in!

Personal preferences

I feel best most productive when I program in:

My preferred IDE is the JetBrains suite on Windows, but I will suffer VS.code and Linux/OSX if I have to.

I am also knowledgeable enough to be dangerous (and able to find issues) in many other technologies, among them:

Not Neuro-Typical

I have a functional form of autism that is mostly a blessing - but sometimes a curse. My ability to simplify complex problems has proven useful in life - if somewhat frustrating.

People make things artificially hard when they are easy. The IT industry is one of the worst sinners when it comes to this human flaw. I believe in a world where more people will engage constructively with computers, using simpler, but better tools. A world where we can focus on creativity instead of feature bloat. My need to turn complexity into simplicity can hopefully help teach others that databases are more accessible than the hype trains will have you believe.

My autism provides me with the ability to remain focused on problem solving for very long periods of time. This comes with a price, mostly paid for with my health. As I grow older - I am realising that my body isn't just a vehicle for transporting the jelly on the top floor around. This has put me on a journey towards greater health - which should mean that I can continue to annoy the Internet for many years to come.

Diplomacy is not one of my strengths - though I pride myself in always speaking the truth I know. I guess you can consider yourself warned against my personality now. Just like you, I am trying to make the world a better place - our methods may differ.