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Why Oracle Fans Are Illogical

We must now move on to the refutation of the Oracle enthusiasts' logical arguments, or lack thereof. For proof of any of these fallacies, browse any Oracle newsgroup that attacks SQL Server. You'll find these errors along with many more.

I'll begin with the logical error that normally ends up at the bottom of the rants found on most discussion groups. This error is called "Ad hominem," which means "To the man." It occurs when someone attacks the character or personality of the opposition, rather than the logical constructs. For Oracle purists, this normally includes derogatory statements about Microsoft or its founder. This argument simply doesn't matter to the end user.

The next logical failure seen in Oracle groups is the "Argumentum ad numerum," which means that the majority must be correct. "More people use Oracle," the argument goes, "so it must be better." This reminds me of a story where the CEO of a firm was walking with her CFO. "Look", she cried, "a twenty dollar bill there in the grass!" "That can't be a twenty dollar bill," said the CFO. "Why not?" the CEO asked. "Because," he replied, "if it were a twenty dollar bill, someone would have picked it up by now. All those people can't be wrong."

Although there are many other fallacies committed by the Oracle faithful, I will detail one final example. This error is called "Ignoratio elenchi," which means that the argument presented has nothing to do with the proposition. This happens when faced with the statement "But SQL Server is easier to manage—isn't that important?" and the response is given: "SQL Server doesn't scale!" Even this statement is debatable, but it doesn't address the question at hand.

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