From: chris@state.COM.AU (Chris Keane)
Subject: Re: New directions...
Organization: Group Treasury, State Bank of NSW
Date:  2 Sep 92 06:41:02 GMT



I can't help feeling a little disappointed in the ability of both Osborn
and Iain to present a coherent case on this subject. It appears that
they both (especially Osborn) appear to be relying a little too much
on strong words that contain little or no meaning. For example:

o> Keane forgets about interactions between items on sysprog agendas. A fucked 
o> news system means that a number of aspects of a network are faulty. Faults ma
                            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
o> be in local network hardware, message routing, addressing, storage, planning
o> and partitioning of disk space, news software, news feeds, system integrity
o> as a whole, ... - all things which should receive proper attention on a
o> network with as many users and responsibilities as UTS (or even any network?)

Unfortunately, without further investigation and without other corresponding
faults, a "fucked news system" is simply a fucked news system. News systems
are of a sufficient complexity that they can break all by themselves. 
Osborn appears to think that an acorn falling on his head is always an 
indication that the sky is about to fall. While this may *rarely* indeed 
be the case, to assume that it is every time is merely stupidity.

Both Iain and Osborn express the opinion that I don't consider news to be
important:

i> I don't know.  Usenet provides many crucial and unique services to its
i> users, eg.  providing interactive fora, announcing software releases/
i> availability of papers and other things of major importance, serving as
i> a medium where researchers can discuss their work, providing a raw
i> information resource, etc.  So, for the service providers at a university,
i> what is "really a priority" compared to Usenet?

Okay, a valid point. However, I have never stated that news was not a priority
at all, only that it ranks somewhat lower than other tasks.
Now boys and girls, let's have a little quiz. Rank the following activities 
in order of importance:

	.  providing machines for you to use
	.  providing servers for central disks and services
	.  providing a network to string them together
	.  gateways between ethernet/Macs and PCs
	.  user management
	.  email maintenance
	.  installation of new equipment (that someone dumps in your lap and
			says has to be ready by this afternoon)
	.  news maintenance

This is what I could think of in 10 seconds. Now, I could be totally off
the mark here, but I personally would assume that providing a user with
facilities to access multiple services is more important than providing 
one of those individual services. Of course, you can always argue for the 
alternative (that is, everyone's newsfeed is in perfect sync, but no-one 
can read it anyway because their machines are always broken).
Given a priority decision between fixing someone's machine or fixing a 
newsfeed, I'm fairly confident that I'd be fixing the machine.

Iain further draws a parallel between system admins and politicians:
i> ... we can unambiguously lump system administrators with politicians ...

Yes, indeed, there are many parallels. Not the least of which is trying
to pacify users who have totally fucked-up expectations. Not to moan,
but being a system administrator essentially means taking the heat when
things go badly, and never receiving any sort of recognition or thanks
when herculean feats of administration above and beyond the call of duty 
are performed.


Osborn goes on to say:
o> The second insolence perpetrated by Keane is in denying or under-stating
o> the role or AARnet and the responsibilities of UTS to AARnet

I'm sorry, I don't actually believe I said anything about this at all. In 
fact, to virtually restate what I said above (but in simple words so that
you understand), you need your fucking brain rebuilt if you believe for one
second that news is the highest priority there is, or even in the top five.
(email, however, is). If this somehow translates itself into the above by
some mechanism that is unclear to me, then tough. News is an inherently
unguarenteed service. If you think that someone is going to guarentee it
for you, then email me, 'cause I've got a really nice bridge that you might
like to buy off me.


Finally, Osborn attempts to rewrite history:
o> I won't go into any specifics of Keane's prior history or personality, but
o> simply express a gratitude for the sysprogs we now have in the School of
o> Computing Sciences. I would however, underline my contempt for haphazard
o> approaches to systems operations and planning, and any inability to inform
o> users of faults which impact on their normal activities.

This seems to imply that Osborn was extremely dissatisfied with the system
when I was working on it and later running it (this was over 1.5 years ago). 
I won't go into specifics of Osborn's actions or personality at this time, 
but let's simply say that he never complained to directly to me, I never
heard any indirect complaints from him, and he certainly never published
any public criticism on aus.flame. Now that I have exposed his (now) childish
behaviour, Osborn makes me out to be the most incompetent person on the
face of the earth: if this is the case, perhaps he can also explain why it 
is that in the three years that I have been a professional administrator, 
I have received one acting- and three normal promotions in two separate
companies to now be the Unix Systems Operations/Admin Manager for a bank. At 
the ripe old age of 22. All that, and incompetent too. Gee.


While I feel sorry for both Osborn and Iain in their news deprivation, the
type of insolence perpetrated by Osborn in (a) condemning administrators,
(b) presuming to tell admins how to do their job and (c) applying personal
insults and slurs against both myself and Patrick (whether he means it or not)
cannot be allowed to stand.


Osborn, when YOU have personally and single-handedly run an entire networked
system for say, a month, then I will acknowledge that you do indeed have
the faintest idea what you're talking about. Until then, don't air your
dirty linen in public, or alternately, just shut the fuck up.


Love & Hugs, Chris.