Discussion: "The Server IS the Documentation" (OR Standard Process [Obnosis] verses Useless Arrogance [Experience/Training])

[James Mcphee]

I know I've been accused of arrogance more than occasionally.  We form
simplified mental models of how things work, and we often clash with those
models formed by others.  Emotions tend to get involved at that point.

Assuming a basic level of experience and/or education, plenty of folk that
have many years of experience have a hard time learning, and there are
reasonably fresh kids who can roll with the punches and learn things
quickly enough to be far more valuable.  I would say that having an agile
mind is worth more than experience, though having both is best.

Learning through observation is a valuable tool.  I prefer to try and form
a model of understanding around what I've learned, and use observation to
test my hypothesis.  A friend compares this to wave vs particle theory.
 The downside of this approach is that I can be VERY mistaken in applying
the model, and things that are obvious to more strict practitioners leave
me confused and drooling in the corner.


On Thu, May 16, 2013 at 9:03 PM, Lisa Kachold <lisakachold at obnosis.com>wrote:

> Across the board, the number 1 worst attribute that I see working with the
> PLUG, technology teams, and mentoring (at or around year 3 in academics,
> and year 3 - 10 in IT/linux professionalism) = arrogance.
>
> What exactly is arrogance anyway.  Where is this found?  Why?
>
> It's the place in the discussion where one person dominates assuming that
> their position or knowledge is greater (without investigation).  This is
> also referred to as "OneUpManShip".
> It's the place in the presentation where students and PLUG peers write off
> the person who has taken on the role to "present on the subject" based on
> their ability to verbally spiel acronyms.  This is referred to "Minimizing".
> It's the place in the team dissemination of project roles and tasks where
> a member's enthusiasm is downplayed based on experience.  This is referred
> to "Dues Hierarchy".
> This is the place in the interview where the employer fails to realize all
> they need to do is very the work history, since everything for a Linux
> professional is motivated by and driven from an ethical systems
> administrator viewpoint (not any communications with or responsibilities
> disseminated from the employer); just as we are woken from sleep to work on
> or check systems; and jazzed beyond belief by a well engineered hardware
> server like IBM Blade (can you say Fiber channel switched backplane?)...
>
> There are a great many examples where an ego based emotional assumption of
> or judgement is placed on our peers, our work, and even ourselves at one
> point or another.
>
> The ability to understand linux systems requires a certain type of
> systemic theory; which can be daunting for some people; such systems
> integration can be hard to troubleshoot [and successfully negotiate within]
> without inherent abilities but can be done with a great deal of complex
> experience, however this is NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. So the people who do well
> at what we do, are usually those that find that they inherently find this
> easy.
>
> It is, however, far from easy, since most of us work long hours, without
> adequate physical exercise and balanced stress free environments. The sheer
> amount of responsibility and ultimate reliance in all shops on the unique
> abilities of the Unix/Linux systems administrator are daunting to most once
> they get a full view.
>
> However, we each learn standard process applied across the OSI stack
> and/or fed through the kernel/memory/processor for systems or DevOps
> applications performance and integration, security or troubleshooting.
>
> Standard process, which includes a few easy to learn rules, relies on logs
> and linux tools, completely supplants any experience, past systems history
> knowledge (available on/in the server), most visio documentation or
> RunBooks (which should not exist unless something cannot be known by server
> view alone).
>
> Ironically, to people who are not linux-ish, the statement that "The
> Server IS the documentation" seems incredibly arrogant, when in fact, it
> simplifies all the arrogant posturing and 7 deadly sin based profit from
> the misunderstanding of unix/linux administration and engineering.
>
> We all intimately understand the concept of "obnosis" or Knowledge by
> Observation  - rather than what is imparted via formal rote learning and
> scholastic pursuit.
>
> What do you think?  Is the adage "There is NO substitute for experience"
> correct or can anyone using standard process (as opposed to documented
> process)  and NIX command line skills (yet bringing no experience) get to
> the finish line at the same time?
>
> http://wiki.obnosis.com  <http://wiki.obnosis.com>
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-- 
James McPhee
jmcphe at gmail.com
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