This is a highly interactive and popular session where you evaluate the options and best practices of common and advanced design issues. Then all attendees argue about the answers.

Modules may be voted on ahead of time by participants but could include:

• Are NULLs evil?
• A faux NULLs dangerous?
• Should we be storing JSON in the database?
• Do we need vector search and embedding in the database?
• How many are too many joins?
• Who gets the final say in design decisions?
• How long is too long for a naming standard?
• Are GUIDs helpful?
• How should we implement surrogate keys
• Is a database software or infrastructure or both?
• Which is more important: performance or data quality?
• Is normalization the end of the world?
• Are naming standards just for the wicked?
• How much security should be in the database rather than the application?

Bring your votes, your debates, and your opinions.

You will learn:

• Understand contentious issues and why they are so
• How to listen to and respond to "the other side"
• Have fun while arguing about database things