Re: Perhaps it's time to think about enhancements to the NANOG list...?

[scott <surfer () mauigateway com>]

On 3/20/2021 3:34 PM, David Siegel wrote:
> ...not to mention that all mature networks are moving more towards GUI 
> front ends for their automated network.  As the complexity of 
> a network increases, CLI access becomes considerably more risky.
>
> The idea that "real engineers use the CLI" is dinosaur thinking that 
> will eventually land those with that philosophy out of a job.  Just my 
> personal $.02 (though I'm certainly not alone in my opinion).

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I didn't mean to imply "real engineers use the CLI" only, but that's the 
way you read it (perhaps others, too), so all good. Definitely, there is 
no shortage of network engineering jobs for those that mainly use CLI 
compared to those that use mainly/only a GUI, at least as far as I have 
seen.  The CLI works on all networks, but a GUI is different in each 
network.  As was mentioned upthread, there is a place for a GUI.  I am 
not implying there is not a place for it.

I can't even begin to imagine trying to troubleshoot the complex 
problems I deal with day-to-day on a GUI and I am on a medium sized 
network compared to those on this list.



> But I'd like to reiterate that the board's goal with modernization is 
> not to alienate anyone from the existing community by forcing them 
> into a web-interface. Discourse is under evaluation, and if it doesn't 
> accomplish the goal we'll try something else or build our own tool.

-----------------------------------------------

Thanks for that. I consider this list one of the most important tools I 
have for learning about networking.

scott








> Dave
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 20, 2021 at 6:52 PM Matthew Petach <mpetach () netflight com 
> <mailto:mpetach () netflight com>> wrote:
>
>
>
>     On Sat, Mar 20, 2021 at 5:13 PM scott <surfer () mauigateway com
>     <mailto:surfer () mauigateway com>> wrote:
>     [...]
>
>          Of course, one would
>         not find an HTTP GUI on the bigger networks dealt with on this
>         list;
>         only on the tiny networks.  So they're beginning learners and
>         are, of
>         course, welcome.  They will lean a lot, just as I did in the
>         early days
>         and do every day now days.
>
>     [...]
>
>         scott
>
>
>     Let's see...
>     Google: Gmail
>     Microsoft: Hotmail/Outlook/Office365
>     Yahoo/VerizonMedia: Yahoo Mail
>
>     I'd have to say, there's some pretty big networks on this list that
>     use HTTP GUIs for their email.
>
>     Of course, you might be big enough that you look down on the
>     networks of Google, Microsoft, and VZM as "tiny networks" -- in
>     which case, you're definitely entitled to your opinion, as all 8000
>     pound gorillas that look down on the puny 800 lb gorillas are.  ;)
>
>     Matt