Data modelling as art

Have you come across Data Modellers who exhibit OCD type behaviour when it comes to laying out models?

This often manifests itself as obsessive behaviour to eliminate crossing lines (BTW I think you should strive to minimise crossing lines), or the addition of not very subtle layout and annotation.  Frequently this steers me to think they believe their Data Models are works of art.

But is it art……..

Well funnily enough when I was recently in Philadelphia I went to the Art Museum and in the modern & contemporary gallery I saw this picture.

Standing in front of it I was approached by the gallery curator who said “Interesting isn’t it?  What does it say to you?”

“it’s an unnamed entity” I said

“Wow – that’s deep, I’ve not heard that before” she replied

“yes, and not only that it’s in a one to one relationship with another entity” I said.

By now, she seemed to think I was some art connoisseur and enquired “does it say anything else to you?”

I replied “well, it looks to me like it might be a subtype of some super entity”

By now, my colleagues (Nic & Inna) who also are fellow Information Management folks overheard what was going on and told me to stop winding up the curator.  Throughout the whole discussion she’d been taking notes in a little book on what I’d been saying to her on "my interpretation" of this masterpiece.

So you never know, maybe future visitors to the Modern & Contemporary Art Gallery will be told of an interesting interpretation by some crazy English guy of this picture.

Personally I don’t get art at all!