why superior solutions aren't (Re: Vulnerbilities of Interconnection)

Mon Sep 16 18:45:14 UTC 2002

> Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 13:15:43 -0400 (EDT)
> From: alex

> The company that "hosted" CNN demonstrated that for all the
> claims of their connectivity, it was not really there. If I
> recall correctly, CNN came up when a certain company from MA
> company-ized CNN.

Which brings us back to discussions of SPOF and distributed
sources.  The MA company in question helps demonstrate the
latter.  The former has been discussed recently.

As network engineers/operators, we want to make things better and
more reliable.  However, there are sayings to the effect of "the
trouble about doing things right the first time is people do not
appreciate how difficult it was" and "people would rather brag
about a good towing contract than to stay out of the mud".

* How many times have you heard:
  - "I don't care if I get hacked; I don't have anything
    important on my computer"
  - "Nobody would be interested in breaking in to us"
  - "I'm happy with my current provider because they don't go
     down that often"

* Ever submit a proposal for doing a job the right way, then lost
  the bid because someone else was cheaper in the short run (and
  more expensive in the long
  run)?

* Ever had to argue that maintaining RFC compliance really was
  the correct thing to do?

When a problem occurs, people get angry; only then does change
become important.  Until then, it's a question of "how much does
it _cost_", *not* "what are we _investing_".  Money talks, and a
pound of cure is worth an ounce of prevention, plus carries the
bragging rights of "I was a victim".

How often does a huge news even occur?  The bombings a year ago?
The release of the Starr report?  Do people get mad at the news
source, or just chalk it up to "the Internet is having troubles"?
Good, fast, cheap -- pick two (and make sure at least one is
"cheap").

Bottom line:  When something is expected, and the lack thereof
rarely bites in a painful place, proper implementation is not
considered a valuable feature.  The market for perfection is a
very small one.

Eddy
--
Brotsman & Dreger, Inc. - EverQuick Internet Division
Bandwidth, consulting, e-commerce, hosting, and network building
Phone: +1 (785) 865-5885 Lawrence and [inter]national
Phone: +1 (316) 794-8922 Wichita

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