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
modprobein firewall or so attempts to untable Linux kind module dependency obtains theiptablesoperation 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.
