Re: Hokay, I officially give up...

On 5/22/09, Mathieu Bouchard <matju-i8w/[email protected]> wrote:
> On Fri, 22 May 2009, Dave Stagner wrote:
>
> > A system that can do failover, but only with the correct admins to
> > babysit and deal with surprises, "barely works".
>
> So, why do you insist on calling it "barely works" instead of "meeting
> requirements"?

Because then it wouldn't be cute and clever. :}  A hip, snarky posture
is good marketing in the 21st century, y'know.

But really, I do think there's a valid distinction here, between
"barely works" and "works well". We imagine our software that meets
requirements working well, but it usually doesn't. Take the failover
example... when the failover requirement is made, it's envisioned as a
transparent, reliable system that could be handled by second-shift
support staff using a well-documented procedure. The reality is
probably that failover can work, but only with the first-line
administrators debugging and fixing real-world details. Battle plans
rarely survive first contact with the enemy.

-- 
-dave

"Why doesn't the Earth fall?  How can you walk upon it?  It's the
music.  It's the music of the Earth, and the Sun, and the Stars.  It's
the music of yourself, vibrating.  Yes, you are music too! You're all
instruments.  Everyone is supposed to be playing their part in this
vast Arkestra of the Cosmos."

-Sun Ra

music - http://www.extraterrestrialhighway.net
photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/dstagner
etc - http://sitdownshutup.wordpress.com