I am kind of going around in circles in my head here with-in regards to database normalization. I know strict database normalization is generally a good idea, and I had it brutally pounded into my face through out college and most of my career.

My question now is, how much normalization is too much in regards to web development? I tend to love third form, but even this seems excessive at times when you have databased information that needs to be calculated using so much information which is spread through out the database. I know it is sin, but I am really starting to feel the rebel in me just want to paint a few extra columns in select tables to hold intensive data that will never change. An example may include the length of time in a multi staged event. Instead of piecing together four tables, and taking the earliest time to the latest and figuring length out that way, it just seems to make sense for me to have it saved in the event table.

Normally, I would not forsee this as an issue, at all. However, with web programming and corps *finally* grasping some OOP in web development (outside of JEE), these queries are getting largely taxing.

Maybe this is a can of worms that is already opened, but I am curious as to what others think on this. Maybe I just need new db material to read, or maybe web applications are to be treated differently as far as database design goes. My thoughts are structured, but before I put effort into a DB redesign, I thought I would ask the EoFF prodigy programmers about it.

What do you all think?