On Feb 18, 2021, at 6:10 PM, Karl Auer <ka...@biplane.com.au> wrote:
> 
> I think it was Macchiavelli who said that one should not ascribe to
> malice anything adequately explained by incompetence…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor
        Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by 
stupidity.

I personally prefer this version from Robert A. Heinlein:
        Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.

And to put it on topic, cover your EPOs

In 1994, there was a major earthquake near the city of Los Angeles. City hall 
had to be evacuated and it would take over a year to reinforce the building to 
make it habitable again. My company moved all the systems in the basement of 
city hall to a new datacenter a mile or so away. After the install, we spent 
more than a week coaxing their ancient (even for 1994) machines back online, 
such as a Prime Computer and an AS400 with tons of DASD. Well, tons of 
cabinets, certainly less storage than my watch has now.

I was in the DC going over something with the lady in charge when someone 
walked in to ask her something. She said “just a second”. That person took one 
step to the side of the door and leaned against the wall - right on an EPO 
which had no cover.

Have you ever heard an entire row of DASD spin down instantly? Or taken 40 
minutes to IPL an AS400? In the middle of the business day? For the second most 
populous city in the country?

        Me: Maybe you should get a cover for that?
        Her: Good idea.

Couple weeks later, in the same DC, going over final checklist. A fedex guy 
walks in. (To this day, no idea how he got in a supposedly locked DC.) She says 
“just a second”, and I get a very strong deja vu feeling. He takes one step to 
the side and leans against the wall.

        Me: Did you order that EPO cover?
        Her: Nope.

-- 
TTFN,
patrick

Reply via email to