OK Jessica. I was really focused on 'configuration' rather than
'automation'. Not really the same thing.
I agree it is distressing how automation is pushing people out of jobs.
But reliable and repeatable, accurate configuration comes with systems
that are written to repeat it, whether they be scripts, or other things
like Ansible, Chef or Puppet.
Like I said before, if I find myself doing the same thing more than
three times in the command line, I will write a script. And for complex
machine configuration I will write Ansible code to do it. Using Ansible
I can configure either one or many machines at the same time.
In my opinion it would be silly to keep repeating a tedious manual task
when a few lines of either bash or Ansible will do it for me, and with
the same results every time.
Mike
On 20/03/2020 13:45, Jessica wrote:
Mike. I think there is for me a misunderstanding here about automation.
The main problem I have with automation is too often people use it as a thing
to be lazy rather than a tool to help get stuff done.
For example email clients having all the correct info. Personally that only
applies to the popular services anyway. If your dealing with a third party
provider. You still have to know your email info unless you do it via the
web. To setup any client.
As I stated in one of my emails. I learned to write a basic script that would
help me move thousands of files around.
Doing that by hand wouldn't have been error prone for me actually. But it
would have taken days. With the script I got it done in hours.
I have no proof of that work today as the script is gone along with the
files. I didn't have them backed up. And lost the computer they were on.
So maybe I should rephrase.
1. I am not against automation as long as it doesn't promote laziness. Or
push people out of jobs they can do and get paid for.
2. It actually performs a task that does make it nearly impossible for people
to do in a timely manner.
We have too much automation in our society and too many people have lost good
jobs because of it.
But with the 2 statements above. I am ok with it. Minus the things I
mentioned.
That having been said. I have seen bugs/errors ariise with automated stuff as
well.
It really all depends on how the automated script/etc was written. And
ultimately that is what it comes down too.
I could write a script for example and it could still be error prone if I
don't make sure there are no textual errors.
Anyway. I marked your ansible link. I do plan on taking a look.
While I am on the subject though.
I got the impression devin thought you couldn't automate under linux.
This morning I got to thinking about it even before the emails came up on the
list. And I was like no you can automate stuff.
For example Devin's issue with edbrowse. Just write a script to read the
email messages in sequential order and then have a prompt that allows you to
reply or forward that message the way you wish.
I think a very easy script could be written to do that.
But I am still fairly new to scripting. So I am not really up to it right now.
But my guess would be.
have the script ask you what email message you want to read. After you read
the message ask edbrowse to quit. Then ask if you want to reply forward or do
nothing with that email.
Now honestly I don't understand why this isn't built into edbrowse. But I
think a script could be made to make it not so clunky.
Cloud and cloud providers would not exist without automation.
The single biggest advantage of automation is reliable and consistent
repeatability.
If complex tasks are always manual, then there will be more mistakes.
What makes it possible for me to spin up a four node MongoDB cluster on
Digital Ocean is a combination of their automation and my Ansible code.
If somebody calls me and says "I want a four node MongoDB cluster", I
can ALMOST do it in real time while they are on the phone.
If it was left to manual configuration it would take hours.
And if it was not being spun up in the cloud, they would have to procure
the machines, the volumes, the network infrastructure, the site, and so
it goes on.
I can also test any combination of machine/OS/cluster with virtual
machines using Vagrant and VirtualBox.
Using VirtualBox without Vagrant would be a lot harder.
I can also spin up and configure a swarm of Docker containers with
docker-compose, much more readily and accurately repeatable with automation.
On 19/03/2020 21:35, Jessica wrote:
Devin. I don't know I just don't like automation.If used rightly it can be a good thing.
Older people tend to not like automation. And younger people do.
But far to often its used because people don't want to take time to look
things up.
I guess this is an older/younger person battle.
But I never was fond of automating things.
Nothing wrong with automation I suppose.
sequence a lot of damage can be done.
When you automate. If something goes wrong and there is not an escape
Its just not me.
Just my two cents worth on that subject. Automation isn't bad.
attitudes expressed by the subscribers to this list do not reflect those of
Jessica
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--
Michael A. Ray
Analyst/Programmer
Witley, Surrey, South-east UK
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when
there is nothing left to take away." -- A. de Saint-Exupery
https://cromarty.github.io/
http://eyesfreelinux.ninja/
http://www.raspberryvi.org/
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-----------------------------------------------------------
Raspberry Pi and the Raspberry Pi logo are trademarks of the Raspberry Pi
Foundation.
This list is not affiliated to the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the views and
attitudes expressed by the subscribers to this list do not reflect those of
the Foundation.
Mike Ray, list creator, January 2013
===========================================================
The raspberry-vi mailing list
Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/raspberry-vi
Administrative contact: <mike.ray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
-----------------------------------------------------------
Raspberry Pi and the Raspberry Pi logo are trademarks of the Raspberry Pi
Foundation.
This list is not affiliated to the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the views and
attitudes expressed by the subscribers to this list do not reflect those of
the Foundation.
Mike Ray, list creator, January 2013
