DBA Code of Ethics

Responsibilities to the Company:

Bring to table good-enough understanding of regulations and keep systems compliant.

Proactively update systems and keep them SLA compliant; handle Vendor relationships.

Using best of knowledge, advise the company of all issues, fixes and workarounds.

Collect and share facts regarding Capacity and performance; inform of viable options.
Provide adequate security for all data systems exceeding compliance and business needs.
Establish a fault tolerant and/or recoverable environment with defined recovery options.

Simplify existing infrastructure for cost reduction and performance; in that order.

Lead to simplify data-stores and strive to establish “single-truth” of available data.

Implement standards and best practices while reducing exceptions.

Mentor the business about technology in honest, accurate and transparent fashion.

Preserve workplace sanity and reject any threats that may impact order and organization.

Reduce problems and recurring issues; Implement automated fixit jobs.

Implement alerting mechanisms conforming to, or better than approved SLA expectations

Responsibilities to One's Self
Don’t get outdated, network with DBA communities and keep your knowledge current.

Non-DBA associates and friends can make you an all rounder in associated technologies.

Business associates and friends may fill in gaps regarding business and regulations.

Learn new tools, techniques and best practices, and be ready to mentor and teach.

Keep ahead of industry trends for Capacity, Recovery and Tuning tracks.

Practice simplicity and promote clarity of thought in workplace.

Document everything new, and organize your environment, thoughts and mind.

Help whenever possible, collect all the favors so you can say NO when needed.

Keep your sanity and thoughts organized; defend against the urge to over-do in helping.

Better your Career track, Specialize and/or switch paths when needed; don’t be stagnant.

Responsibilities to Peers and Co-workers

Support team effort; offer your contribution to common goals.

Show professional courtesy to expect one, and share within the legal bounds.

Don’t go overboard with SLA compliance; ensure Co-workers can comfortably cope.

Automate fixes where possible, help simplify/improve fixes and processes in existence.

Support co-workers with endeavors and initiatives; you may learn just by helping.

Honesty is the best policy, discuss facts professionally - avoid getting personal on issues.
Don’t make competitors out of peer & co-workers; avoid confrontations at length.

Help protect peers and workers from code/data pitfalls and expect the same.
Specialize and mentor peers, participate listening to presentations by peers & co-workers.

HIPPOCRATIC OATH for IT

Just as Doctors take an Oath of healing their patients to the best of his abilities, Computer people do the same for systems they are responsible for; except that a formal Oath was missing… that was until now - here is the version of Hippocratic Oath that is based on the widely used Oath by Dr. Louis Lasagna:

I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those Information Technology Specialists in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the Improvement of performance, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of over-tuning and electronic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to database design and maintenance as well as science, and that knowledge with consideration, values, and understanding may outweigh the IT Tools and methods.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not", nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a System recovery or tuning.

I will respect the security of my customer’s data, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of compliance! If it is given to me to save a system, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to cause a failure; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.

I will remember that I am not fascinated by a threat or system vulnerability, but treating a system in need, whose impact may affect my client economically or strategically. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the poor performance or threats.

I will prevent probable impact whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.

I will remember that I remain a part of the company with special obligations to all my fellow users, developers and all others using these systems.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, be respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those systems who seek my help.

Publishing this Oath as a professional courtesy