The Boston Diaries

The ongoing saga of a programmer who doesn't live in Boston, nor does he even like Boston, but yet named his weblog/journal “The Boston Diaries.”

Go figure.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

The negligence correspondence

I must be speaking Elbonian or something.

Dropped in my lap is the configuration of a router and firewall for a customer site. The firewall, no problem there (well, except for modprobe being completely borked on the firewall and spending an hour or so trying to untable the Linux kernel module dependencies by hand to get iptables working, but that's a different issue). No, I'm trying to figure out what IP addresses I can use for this.

What we've got here is … failure to communicate,” as the Captain of Road Prison 36 says.

And this isn't a failure between myself and Dan the Network engineer here—no, it's between myself, Dan, Smirk and G. Smirk told me, in the immortal words of Captain Picard, “Make it so.” Both Dan the Network engineer and G are giving me advice on how to setup the network, but they have completely different worldviews. And the terminology I know isn't the terminology that Dan or G uses (for instance, Dan uses “loopback address” to mean any IP address bound to a router on the loopback device, not just 127.0.0.1, which is a usage I, a programmer who's done networking programming, is not used to).

It's been rather frustrating asking (through email) what seems to me a straightforward question and getting an answer back that has nothing to do with what I asked. Or frustrating giving some information only to get a reply back asking for the information which was in the email I sent (and quoted, in full, back to me).

Perhaps I would be understood better if I translate what I want through Babelfish a few dozen times:

I certainly speak Elbonian or something.

Drop in a mine knee department router and firewall disposition for consumer locus. The firewall, does not have question there (to be very good, is completely borked and passed for a hour except modprobe in firewall or so attempts to untable Linux kind module dependency obtains the iptables operation with hand, but that is an other question). No, I try to extrapolate any IP address I can use for this.

“any we have here are … the negligence correspondence,” like go the same way jail 36 captains to say.

And this is not the defeat and Dan network Engineer here does not have between I, it is in I, between Dan, Smirk and G. Smirk tells me, in Captain Picard immortal word, “makes it so.” Engineer Dan network and G raise me to suggest how about establishes the network, but they have completely different worldviews. And I knew the terminology is not Dan or the G use terminology (for example, Dan uses “to return delivers address” to mean any IP address certainly is returning to a router delivers equipment, not only 127.0.0.1, is usage I, is programmer which completes network programming, is not used).

It rather frustrates the request (through email) any and lets to an I direct question with the answer to return to any to have nothing to do with as if I to ask. Or which frustrated provides some information have to arrive request for reply information is I has delivered in the email (and has quoted, in was full, returns to me).

Perhaps I can understand well if I translate any me to want to pass Babelfish several 12:

[The translation reduces translation.]

Yea, good.

Yea, much better.

Obligatory Picture

[The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades]

Obligatory Contact Info

Obligatory Feeds

Obligatory Links

Obligatory Miscellaneous

You have my permission to link freely to any entry here. Go ahead, I won't bite. I promise.

The dates are the permanent links to that day's entries (or entry, if there is only one entry). The titles are the permanent links to that entry only. The format for the links are simple: Start with the base link for this site: https://boston.conman.org/, then add the date you are interested in, say 2000/08/01, so that would make the final URL:

https://boston.conman.org/2000/08/01

You can also specify the entire month by leaving off the day portion. You can even select an arbitrary portion of time.

You may also note subtle shading of the links and that's intentional: the “closer” the link is (relative to the page) the “brighter” it appears. It's an experiment in using color shading to denote the distance a link is from here. If you don't notice it, don't worry; it's not all that important.

It is assumed that every brand name, slogan, corporate name, symbol, design element, et cetera mentioned in these pages is a protected and/or trademarked entity, the sole property of its owner(s), and acknowledgement of this status is implied.

Copyright © 1999-2024 by Sean Conner. All Rights Reserved.