In a world where spreadsheets dominate corporate landscapes, there’s a strange phenomenon lurking beneath the surface of digital collaboration. Brace yourself, dear reader, for we are about to embark on an absurdly hilarious journey through the bewildering, almost mystical resistance to a concept so basic, so fundamental, that it might as well be gravity itself. Yes, I’m talking about the **hub-and-spoke architecture** a term I heard from Ed Cruz. An idea that should surprise exactly no one in the modern age, yet here we are, baffled by the spreadsheet community’s curious amnesia. It’s also called client-server architecture, by the way.
It all started with a simple comment on a post about Ed’s excellent explainer. A commenter, let’s call him Ray Salvador (because, well, that’s his name), dropped this gem:
“Hmm, that’s a very interesting approach to solve spreadsheet problem.”
Oh, Ray. Oh, sweet summer child.
What did you expect? Were you imagining some sort of spreadsheet wizardry that involves hexagonal wheels, a sprinkle of pixie dust, and a revolutionary formula to convert sugar into gasoline? Because, you see, what you just called “interesting” is what many of us in the digital world would call “the default.” A collaborative environment? Hub-and-spoke architecture? These aren’t **new concepts**; they’ve been around since dinosaurs first developed PowerPoint presentations (well, okay, maybe not quite that long).
This brings us to an odd societal quirk that somehow persists in our modern Excel-crazed world. People who work with spreadsheets, the folks we fondly call “Excel Ninjas” or “Spreadsheet Wizards,” often seem surprised when someone suggests that perhaps—just maybe—we could stop emailing around 52 different versions of the same document. The mere mention of “client-server architecture” causes a collective gasp, as if someone had just proposed that we all start **driving motor cars without horses.** (Shocking, right? A car… without horses?!)
The Root of the Spreadsheet Stigma.
The true absurdity, however, lies not in the technology but in the mindset. Excel aficionados, you see, have been led to believe that anything beyond the sacred cell grid is black magic, likely the domain of IT wizards who dwell in dark server rooms, chanting SQL queries by candlelight. There’s a curious resistance to the idea that spreadsheets could be more than just glorified notepads for the data-inclined. “Client-server architecture? Integration with databases? Surely you jest! That’s the work of the **IT priests**, not us mere spreadsheet mortals!”
And yet, this perception ignores a fundamental reality: the hub-and-spoke architecture has been around for **decades**. Yes, decades! In fact, **Microsoft Office 4.2**, way back in the pre-Google era of 1993, was already flaunting its ability to work in a client-server environment. Heck, by the time I stumbled upon it in 1997, it was practically **old news**. But apparently, somewhere along the way, we forgot this pivotal penny drop moment in technological history. Instead, we’ve settled into the warm embrace of version-controlled hell, each department frantically copying and pasting data as though we’re playing some twisted game of “Spreadsheet Telephone.”
The Spreadsheet-Database Cold War.
One of the most amusing aspects of this phenomenon is the deep, primal fear that seems to grip the spreadsheet community whenever someone dares mention the word **“database.”** It’s as if databases and spreadsheets are locked in some sort of Cold War, glaring at each other from across the digital Iron Curtain. Spreadsheets, it seems, are the free-spirited rebels of the office suite, while databases are the stuffy, bureaucratic overlords. There’s an unspoken attitude that “if you work with databases, you’re not one of us.” It’s like being a traitor to the spreadsheet tribe, a Benedict Arnold of the cell grid.
But let me drop a truth bomb: **spreadsheets and databases are not enemies.** In fact, they’ve been happily coexisting and even collaborating for over 30 years. The synergy between Excel and databases like Access was demonstrated back in the 90s when Microsoft made desktop connectivity between different software products a **thing**. The two have been partners in crime ever since, working together like PB&J, Batman and Robin, or—dare I say it—cars and circular wheels.
Why the Shock? Why the Denial?
So why, in the year 2024, are people still surprised by the suggestion that spreadsheets might benefit from—gasp—connecting to a central database? Why do people like Ray Salvador still react as though we’ve just suggested replacing their Excel formulas with ancient hieroglyphics?
The answer, my dear reader, lies in the influence of **social media Excel gurus.** These well-meaning influencers have built entire empires on single-user techniques, teaching their followers how to make spreadsheets do backflips and perform card tricks, all while steadfastly avoiding the elephant in the room: **collaborative architecture**. Why? Because, to be blunt, **it’s just not sexy**. Talking about Power Query macros gets you likes. Talking about hub-and-spoke architecture… not so much. And so, the collective consciousness of spreadsheet enthusiasts remains blissfully unaware of what the rest of us have been using for, oh, the last three decades.
The Satya Nadella Revelation.
I was around when **Satya Nadella** (yes, that Satya Nadella) showcased the potential of Microsoft Office working in a client-server environment back in 1993. This is was in Microsoft’s quarterly DevCast. The man practically handed us the blueprint for the future of collaborative working, and yet here we are, **31 years later**, and some folks still think it’s an interesting idea that spreadsheets could update themselves without an email chain. It’s like watching someone discover that their car has a steering wheel. “Whoa, you mean I don’t have to push this thing like a wheelbarrow?!”
Closing Thoughts.
So here’s my message to the spreadsheet warriors of the world: **Don’t be surprised.** Hub-and-spoke architecture isn’t revolutionary—it’s reality. We’ve been living in this world of interconnected data for decades. You’ve just been so focused on wrangling your VLOOKUPs and concatenations that you forgot to look up and see the bigger picture.
And next time someone says, “That’s an interesting idea,” just smile, nod, and say, “Welcome to 1993.”
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