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From: linimon@nominil.lonestar.org (Mark Linimon)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Single user vs. shared (was Re: Killer Micros and vectorized code)
Summary: I'll have to beg to disagree
Message-ID: <189@nominil.lonestar.org>
Date: 22 Mar 90 08:23:06 GMT
References: <51771@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV> <100598@convex.convex.com> <1990Mar20.174931.2202@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: Lonesome Dove Computing, Southlake, TX
Lines: 28

In article <1990Mar20.174931.2202@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:
> I really don't understand this persistent myth that several dozen amateur
> system administrators are better than one professional.  If *only* the
> user himself is affected, it doesn't make much difference, but that's
> almost never the case in reality.
 
I'll have to disagree with one of Henry's implicit assumptions here, which
is that most organizations will supply such a "professional."  In my
experience with small and medium-size [engineering] companies, management
does not feel that system administration is an undertaking that requires
either time or personnel.  Given that one has some knowledge of system
administration, one will be 'volunteered' to do it.  With a centralized
system, one gets to do a whole group's worth of system administration.
With a decentralized system, one gets to do one system's worth.

Assuming that management feels that it's a zero-effort activity, one is not
going to get brownie points, extra credit, overtime, or even a thank-you
for either; in fact, may be criticized for "wasting time".  So how much free
time would one like to spend on it?

I'm not saying this is right, just common, and I speak from repeated
experience.  Make mine decentralized.

Mark
-- 
Mark Linimon / Lonesome Dove Computing Services / Southlake, Texas
  linimon@nominil.lonestar.org      ||  "I'm getting too old for this..."
    {mic, texbell}!nominil!linimon  ||    -- Guy Clark (ain't we all, Guy...)