If boolean queries are hard for people what about SQL?

[Subbarao Kambhampati <rao@asu.edu>]

Here is a paradox.

--We said that database folks don't quite need to deal with precision 
recall issues since it is clear what the answers are for a query, and every 
database manager must find all answers (and the one that finds them fast 
wins..)

--We then said today that one of the reasons boolean model is not very 
popular in IR is because users have hard time translating their queries 
into boolean logic

--now, SQL, by any stretch of imagination is more complex than boolean logic

--and yet apparently database users have no trouble converting their 
queries into SQL queries, while IR users can't even handle boolean logic

Why is this?

Rao