[AccessD] OT - My union grievance

>The reason that I am writing to the list, is that I want ammo for my
hearing tomorrow. It >is just an initial hearing, but I would like to
make some solid impressions. To do this I >.....snip

Hope it all went ok John.  Maybe a bit late, but I certainly went eeeek
when I read this in TechRepublic tonight:

<QUOTE> "USE THE INDEXED PROPERTY TO PREVENT DUPLICATE ENTRIES
<QUOTE> Primary key fields automatically prevent users from entering
duplicate values. 
<QUOTE> However, the primary key can only be set for one field per
record. To prevent 
<QUOTE> duplicate entries in the other fields, you must set their
Indexed property.
<QUOTE> For example, a patient information database table includes a
Patient_ID field and 
<QUOTE> a Social_Security_Number field, both of which must be unique.
The Patient_ID field 
<QUOTE> is set as the primary key field. In this example, take the
following steps to set 
<QUOTE> the Social_Security_Number field's Indexed property:

<snip>

<QUOTE> When the table is run, Access will display an error message if
an attempt is made <QUOTE> to enter a duplicate value in the field."


Now, if that isn't the greatest add for surrogate keys,  professional
data modelling, professional business analysis skills, decent error
handling, better than grade 4 high school UI design, I don't know what
is.  Far be it for me to make comments on the US health system but I can
just imagine the scneario.

ER NURSE: Mr Gungahaljoi,  I'm sorry but the SSN for your son is not
valid.  Its already been used by someone else on the system.
MR G: But he's 4 months old and bleeding....  Its my number ...Please do
something
ER NURSE: Im sorry, he must be registered on the oomputer before we can
treat him, please give me his proper Social Security Number.
MR G: Please... Do something ....

(Nor am I trying to denigrate the nursing profession in any way at all).

Its just that blatant attitudes to data (read "information") like that
expressed in the quote is exactly what 
A) gives IT professionals a "bad" name - because they didn't understand
the business situation in the first place, or it wasn't explained to
them, or
B) gives IT professionals dispepsia, ulcers and shortened life
expentancies when the "business" has designed and implemented systems
when they didn't understand the ramifications of what they were doing in
the first place.