Re: Programmers with network engineering skills

[Michael Hallgren <m.hallgren () free fr>]

Le lundi 27 février 2012 à 14:14 -0800, Owen DeLong a écrit :
> On Feb 27, 2012, at 12:31 PM, david raistrick wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 27 Feb 2012, Owen DeLong wrote:
> >
> > > I think you're more likely to find a network engineer with (possibly limited)
> > > programming skills.
> >
> > While I'll agree about the more likely, if I needed a coder who had a firm grasp of networking I'd rather teach a 
> > good coder networking, than try to teach the art and magic of good development to a network guy.
>
> Well, I won't call myself a hard-core coder, but, I think I have a reasonable grasp on the art and magic of good 
> development. What I mostly lack is speed and efficiency in the language of choice for whatever project. I can write 
> good code, it just takes me longer than it would take a hard-core coder.
>
> OTOH, having done both, I would say that I think you are not necessarily correct about which direction of teaching is 
> harder. Yes, if you start with a network engineer that knows nothing about writing code or doesn't understand the 
> principles of good coding, you're probably right. However, starting with a network engineer that can write decent 
> code slowly, I think you will get a better result in most cases than if you try to teach network engineering to a 
> hard-core coder that has only a minimal understanding of networking.
>
> > I think it really comes down to which you need: a hardcore network engineer/architect who can hack up code, or a 
> > hardcore developer who has or can obtain enough of a grasp of networking fundementals and specifics to build you 
> > the software you need him to develop.
>
> I'm guessing that someone who needed a hard-core developer that could grasp fundamentals would have grabbed an 
> existing coder and handed him a copy of Comer.
>
> The fact that this person posted to NANOG instead implies to me that he needs someone that has a better grasp than 
> just the fundamentals.
>
> Of course I am speculating about that and I could be wrong.
>
> > The ones who already know both ends extremely well are going to be -very- hard to find, but finding one who can 
> > learn enough of the other to accomplish what you need shouldn't be hard at all.
>
> Depends on what you need. However, I think it's faster to go from limited coding skills with a good basis in the 
> fundamentals to usable development than to go from limited networking skills to a firm grasp on how networks behave 
> in the real world. To the best of my knowledge, nothing but experience will teach you the latter. Even with 20+ years 
> experience networks do still occasionally manage to surprise me.
>
> > ...d (who is not exactly the former though I've played one for TV, and not at all the later)
>
> I am admittedly lost given the three choices as to which constitutes former or latter at this point.
>
> 1.    Strong coder with limited networking
> 2.    Strong networker with limited coding
> 3.    Strong in both

It's all about KISS, to appreciate sound abstraction, in other words.

Cheers,
mh

> Owen
> Who is a strong network engineer
> Who has been a professional software engineer (though many years ago and my skills are rusty
>       and out of date)