[OT] Debian mailinglists [was: RE: Debian or Ubuntu?]

[Iain Young]

Dotan Cohen wrote:
> 2008/5/20 Bart Silverstrim <bsilver at chrononomicon.com>:
>> Mike Bird wrote:
>>
>>> And where do I type my big explanatory comment in your GUI?
>> Documentation kept separate of the server for reference and
>> configuration issues where it won't get accidentally obliterated by an
>> upgrade?
>>
>> Just a guess ;-)
>>
> 
> It won't get read. That's why Python has the excellent
> self-documentation features.
> 

That's getting into a process issue :) Or is it a Management Issue ?:)

These things are -always- a balance, and trust me, even then best GUI
won't stop a large corporate's best Worldwide expert on subject X
screwing up by clicking the wrong button, or mouse jarring at the
wrong moment. And yes, that includes those that write the code!

The trick is to always have back-out plans that can be implemented
quickly, preferably at multiple points of the change/upgrade process,
always double check everything at every stage, and -always- get a second
person to double check your typing, decisions, and thought process :)

We humans are stupid. Thats why we cant talk binary and assembly
language easily :) [And yes, I've written 6502, and Z80, as well as a
bit of SPARC assembly language code in my past]

Truth is, GUI vs CLI has no one answer. It's horses for courses. There
are times one is better/quicker/safer/whatever than the other. There
are times the opposite is true. It depends what you are trying to
achieve.

And trying to achieve 100% correctness, or 0% errors ? Need to replace
humans with robots. Then you get lumbered with hardware failure :)
And what if the robots go mad ?

[If you wonderful GUI tool trashes your config file, what do you do ?]


I guess I'm saying both skill sets are needed in the real world...


Iain