To get a job at Google is not easy as you think it may be.

Here is one of those questions that are really hard to answer when on the hot seat.

HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN DATABASE TO A 5-YEAR OLD CHILD?

Post your answers via http://nct.com.ng/Thread-How-Would-You-Explain-Database-to-a-5-Years-Old-Child

Source: Naija Coders Team (NCT) www.nct.com.ng

Database is like a Candy Jar. You take different kinds of candy and put into that jar and anytime you need a particular kind, say a chocolate bar,you go to that Jar and take it, Only if you, or someone else has put it there before.




Did I get the job?!

Yes I did

Just like Excel, consist of rows and columns

A Database is like a bank where you store different kinds of money for different kinds of people.

Me: boy where do you keep ur cloth and shoe
Boy: inside my room

Me: a database is like your room, the reason why you have a room is to 1.sleep 2. Keep up things.
Me: so I want you to leave the part of sleeping let's only discuss about keeping things
Boy: yes

Me: Good boy!
Me: so if you want to keep your cloth where would you put it ?
Boy: on my bed or floor
Me: that is wrong and your mummy won't allow, she would insist you put it in a wardrobe.. you mum is the software e.g oracle, therfore: you cannot put information anyhow into a database you have to create a databasetable(wardrobe)..
Boy: "ok"

Me: so different type of information are stored in it own databasetable e.g cloth in wardrobe, shoe in shoerack, money in safebox
Boy: I don't understand

Me: database = room (room will hold all the wardrobe where you will keep your things)
Database table = wardrobe (where you store your information(cloth)

Me: so for security purposes u can let someone into your room and not allow him enter your wardrobe or allow him into only one wardrobe.

Or you can just let him see the wardrobe information from a window and he can't enter..

E.g the database of nairaland. Seun allowed us into his room and also allowed us to put cloth in just one wardrobe.. and we can see other wardrobe e.g your friends post... but we can't touch that one..

incredible6:
Me: boy where do you keep ur cloth and shoe
Boy: inside my room

Me: a database is like your room, the reason why you have a room is to 1.sleep 2. Keep up things.
Me: so I want you to leave the part of sleeping let's only discuss about keeping things
Boy: yes

Me: Good boy!
Me: so if you want to keep your cloth where would you put it ?
Boy: on my bed or floor
Me: that is wrong and your mummy won't allow, she would insist you put it in a wardrobe.. you mum is the software e.g oracle, therfore: you cannot put information anyhow into a database you have to create a databasetable(wardrobe)..
Boy: "ok"

Me: so different type of information are stored in it own databasetable e.g cloth in wardrobe, shoe in shoerack, money in safebox
Boy: I don't understand

Me: database = room (room will hold all the wardrobe where you will keep your things)
Database table = wardrobe (where you store your information(cloth)

Me: so for security purposes u can let someone into your room and not allow him enter your wardrobe or allow him into only one wardrobe.

Or you can just let him see the wardrobe information from a window and he can't enter..

E.g the database of nairaland. Seun allowed us into his room and also allowed us to put cloth in just one wardrobe.. and we can see other wardrobe e.g your friends post... but we can't touch that one..

best explanation so far.
Let's say the kids name is Benny.
Benny, think of a database as a collection of information.
You have a dog, don't you?
You feed the dog daily. Morning and evening.
You make sure it gets its meds at the right time.
Let's'ay you make it your habit to take note or record the time you feed your dog daily and what you feed it with, and what time you give it its meds, seperately of course.

So, think of the record as a database. A record for feeds, another one for meds.

Kids might ask, "what is the importance of having records"?!

Okay Benny. Say your dog you love so much ... Hey, what's its name anyway?.. ("Yella"... Say Yella falls sick, you take him to the Vet and Vet, during its diagnosis, askes you what you have been feeding it with and what drugs it has been taking?

"I'd just pull it off from the records!"

good thinking Benny. So, you see the importance of databases?

"yes."

as long as you can take note of anything, have a record for it e.t.c, you can make/create a database for it.
So Benny, what's a database?

"I think a database is something like a diary".

Good Beny, good! Think of it as an advance diary that lives in computers.

So, you can make many records for Yella: its feeds, its meds, places you take it for a walk to every evening, times it barks, times it growls e.t.c. So you name the database 'life of Yella!'

so, 'life of Yella' contains informations about Yella.

JeffreyJamez:
Database is like a Candy Jar. You take different kinds of candy and put into that jar and anytime you need a particular kind, say a chocolate bar,you go to that Jar and take it, Only if you, or someone else has put it there before.




Did I get the job?!

Yes I did

Great, nice and short. You may want to shed more light though.

incredible6:
Me: boy where do you keep ur cloth and shoe
Boy: inside my room
Me: a database is like your room, the reason why you have a room is to 1.sleep 2. Keep up things.
Me: so I want you to leave the part of sleeping let's only discuss about keeping things
Boy: yes
Me: Good boy!
Me: so if you want to keep your cloth where would you put it ?
Boy: on my bed or floor
Me: that is wrong and your mummy won't allow, she would insist you put it in a wardrobe.. you mum is the software e.g oracle, therfore: you cannot put information anyhow into a database you have to create a databasetable(wardrobe)..
Boy: "ok"
Me: so different type of information are stored in it own databasetable e.g cloth in wardrobe, shoe in shoerack, money in safebox
Boy: I don't understand
Me: database = room (room will hold all the wardrobe where you will keep your things)
Database table = wardrobe (where you store your information(cloth)
Me: so for security purposes u can let someone into your room and not allow him enter your wardrobe or allow him into only one wardrobe.
Or you can just let him see the wardrobe information from a window and he can't enter..
E.g the database of nairaland. Seun allowed us into his room and also allowed us to put cloth in just one wardrobe.. and we can see other wardrobe e.g your friends post... but we can't touch that one..

Bros I tuale for you. You should be teaching kids computer science.

MrScript:
Just like Excel, consist of rows and columns

As a 5year old,uncle what is XL,i can't even pronoun rows and columns.

Remember that their vocabulary would be limited,the only row they might know,is the roll in the nusery rhyme ,of rolling a boat,columns ko,colony ni.

You try.

incredible6:
Me: boy where do you keep ur cloth and shoe
Boy: inside my room

Me: a database is like your room, the reason why you have a room is to 1.sleep 2. Keep up things.
Me: so I want you to leave the part of sleeping let's only discuss about keeping things
Boy: yes

Me: Good boy!
Me: so if you want to keep your cloth where would you put it ?
Boy: on my bed or floor
Me: that is wrong and your mummy won't allow, she would insist you put it in a wardrobe.. you mum is the software e.g oracle, therfore: you cannot put information anyhow into a database you have to create a databasetable(wardrobe)..
Boy: "ok"

Me: so different type of information are stored in it own databasetable e.g cloth in wardrobe, shoe in shoerack, money in safebox
Boy: I don't understand

Me: database = room (room will hold all the wardrobe where you will keep your things)
Database table = wardrobe (where you store your information(cloth)

Me: so for security purposes u can let someone into your room and not allow him enter your wardrobe or allow him into only one wardrobe.

Or you can just let him see the wardrobe information from a window and he can't enter..

E.g the database of nairaland. Seun allowed us into his room and also allowed us to put cloth in just one wardrobe.. and we can see other wardrobe e.g your friends post... but we can't touch that one..

i think i would take this as the best for a beginning programmer,to long for a 5year old,
omo you even introduced oracle,take am easy.

paranorman:

best explanation so far.
Let's say the kids name is Benny.
Benny, think of a database as a collection of information.
You have a dog, don't you?
You feed the dog daily. Morning and evening.
You make sure it gets its meds at the right time.
Let's'ay you make it your habit to take note or record the time you feed your dog daily and what you feed it with, and what time you give it its meds, seperately of course.

So, think of the record as a database. A record for feeds, another one for meds.

Kids might ask, "what is the importance of having records"?!

Okay Benny. Say your dog you love so much ... Hey, what's its name anyway?.. ("Yella"... Say Yella falls sick, you take him to the Vet and Vet, during its diagnosis, askes you what you have been feeding it with and what drugs it has been taking?

"I'd just pull it off from the records!"

good thinking Benny. So, you see the importance of databases?

"yes."

as long as you can take note of anything, have a record for it e.t.c, you can make/create a database for it.
So Benny, what's a database?

"I think a database is something like a diary".

Good Beny, good! Think of it as an advance diary that lives in computers.

So, you can make many records for Yella: its feeds, its meds, places you take it for a walk to every evening, times it barks, times it growls e.t.c. So you name the database 'life of Yella!'

so, 'life of Yella' contains informations about Yella.

Still perfect for a beginning programmer,a 5year old can't be taking note at that age,you used database alot of time,diary,information,record,diagnosis,advanced,way to much for a 5.

Na so I go fail interview o.
I am even just tryna to place the intelligence of a 5y old o, esp Naija kid

Interesting


Its like your school bag, you put in your books and pencils in them, to keep them safe.
And when you need them anytime, you take them from where you have kept them.
Database is like a school a bag, where computers keep their books and pencils, and in-fact, all properties it want to safe.

Bobby: Uncle, you mentioned database.
Me: You mean while I was on the phone?
Bobby: Yes
Me: You want to understand what a database is?
Bobby: Yes.
Me: That's my boy (Brings out a diary and hands it to Bobby)
Me: What is that thing on your hand?
Bobby: Uncle, it's a diary.
Me: Open it, what's inside of it?
Bobby: All I can see is written NAMES, ADDRESSES and PHONE NUMBERS
Me: Yes Bobby, A DATABASE IS A DIARY ON THE COMPUTER.

my submission.

you have a locker in your school, where you keep your book, pen and other properties. If you need anything, you take it from the locker. You are the computer and your locker is your database

princenat:
Bobby: Uncle, you mentioned database.
Me: You mean while I was on the phone?
Bobby: Yes
Me: You want to understand what a database is?
Bobby: Yes.
Me: That's my boy (Brings out a diary and hands it to Bobby)
Me: What is that thing on your hand?
Bobby: Uncle, it's a diary.
Me: Open it, what's inside of it?
Bobby: All I can see is written NAMES, ADDRESSES and PHONE NUMBERS
Me: Yes Bobby, A DATABASE IS A DIARY ON THE COMPUTER.

My most prefered, SHORT AND EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND for a 5-year old kid

Me: u know your register in school, the one your aunty always use to come and call names in class?

junior: yes

Me:OK, all the classes have their own register (nursery one, nursery two...) which contains the information of each students in that class ( say Name, address, Guardian etc) each time a person wants to get information about a particular students he/she can just go to the class register and check for the students name. so a database is just like your school register in the computer

princenat:
Bobby: Uncle, you mentioned database.
Me: You mean while I was on the phone?
Bobby: Yes
Me: You want to understand what a database is?
Bobby: Yes.
Me: That's my boy (Brings out a diary and hands it to Bobby)
Me: What is that thing on your hand?
Bobby: Uncle, it's a diary.
Me: Open it, what's inside of it?
Bobby: All I can see is written NAMES, ADDRESSES and PHONE NUMBERS
Me: Yes Bobby, A DATABASE IS A DIARY ON THE COMPUTER.

Perfecto..................

Weezyval:
Me: u know your register in school, the one your aunty always use to come and call names in class?

junior: yes

Me:OK, all the classes have their own register (nursery one, nursery two...) which contains the information of each students in that class ( say Name, address, Guardian etc) each time a person wants to get information about a particular students he/she can just go to the class register and check for the students name. so a database is just like your school register in the computer

Nice one..

Weezyval:
Me: u know your register in school, the one your aunty always use to come and call names in class?

junior: yes

Me:OK, all the classes have their own register (nursery one, nursery two...) which contains the information of each students in that class ( say Name, address, Guardian etc) each time a person wants to get information about a particular students he/she can just go to the class register and check for the students name. so a database is just like your school register in the computer

Best way to explain it to 5years old baby.... Nice one. This is what i wanted to say