Folks, this is an account created 19 hours ago making half an apology and then rationalizing not listening to customers because they solved a "big" problem quickly. That's an ad hominum argument and as a result, a big tell on intent.
From my perspective, pushing out a new SSL build to a bunch of load balancers in a highly automated network like AWS is probably, by this point, a trivial task. Actually listening to the customer and responding decently is MUCH harder. Clearly it could be done better, which is the point of the post.
Rise above getting offended/scared about being called "amateurs" and start talking more about what goes on in that creepy black box that is AWS. You owe the world that much, at the very least.
From my perspective, pushing out a new SSL build to a bunch of load balancers in a highly automated network like AWS is probably, by this point, a trivial task.
These responses I always see on HN when there is an AWS issue always show me how disconnected many of the commenters are from reality, or from ever being involved in a huge infrastructure.
Sure the AWS status page doesn't have a hip web 2.0 AJAX backed d3.js powered cool looking status page. Yes they don't update it every 3 minutes with new info, but many (most) of the problems that one off customers see do not reach a threshold that would ever effect enough customers to make it into a dashboard post. I do think they need to speed up their status updates, but these posts need to get OK'd by a decent number of people before they get thrown up.
There are usually multiple ELB instances living on every rack of every datacenter in every AZ in every region of AWS. Relaunching / patching hundreds of thousands of instances in 48 hours with minimial disruption to customers, is a lot harder than you think.
I'm not disconnected from reality. I actually understand the problem at hand and understand it is a lot of work for some engineers. However, it's still likely it's old hat techniques by now, hence the 'trivial' remark. Also, the context of the comment I was responding to was correlating 'fixing in 48 hours' to not being marketing amateurs.
My primary point agrees with your second paragraph, which is that they could do better on the status updates. Unfortunately this has been going on for YEARS at AWS, so it's worth ratcheting up the tone when talking about it. It's important, and they need to fix it.
Hey there super sleuth... not sure what you're trying to imply but I'm not affiliated with Amazon nor do I use their AWS service. I do not speak for them. I am not making an apology on their behalf. I suggest you stop levying false accusations and avoid using words that you simply don't understand ie. ad hominum (not only did you spell it wrong, but you've misapplied it).
To clarify: I'm a long time HN reader that finally got around to making an account (and certainly not for the express purpose of defending Amazon). However, I did want to call the author out on writing a terribly unfair knee-jerk, heat-of-the-moment indictment of AWS (this type of thing is unfortunately all-too-common in the tech community: actual amateurs writing as if they are a central authority about subjects that they have something approaching 0 understanding of. For example: the multitude of complex engineering and PR challenges a service provider like AWS faces during something like the Great OpenSSL Exploit of 2014). What I'm trying to say is: cut them some slack. Their response seemed perfectly reasonable to me.
I spell things wrong all the time and sometimes hominem doesn't get caught by the spell checker. So fucking what? It's ironic that you call this out because, well, it's an ad hominem argument in and of itself. You are attacking one thing (or supporting one thing) to prove another point. Wikipedia says it best, "claim or argument is rejected on the basis of some irrelevant fact". Claiming AWS isn't practicing amatuer hour based on the fact they rolled out fixes in 48 hours is making an ad hominem argument. Amazon's marketing department is distinctly different from their engineering department. It's irrelevant that they are technically competent enough to patch this when you consider the fact the marketing/communications department could give two shits about how they tell anyone what has been fixed.
In retrospect, what I should have done is called out the blaming statements you made in your first post. That's what brought me to action and caused me to write my response the way I did. I should know better than trying to rationalize with someone who is in dissonance. BTW, narrowrail called you out below for this blaming statement here. Pay attention - people are giving you feedback. Take it or leave it.
Vote down all my comments if that makes you feel better. Karma is meant to burn. It's also a tell that this story dropped off the main page and I'm still getting downvotes on my comment. AWS koolaid much?
Oh, and FWIW, I am a super sleuth. A super sleuth of human behavior and emotional response. I also watch what I say about others, trying not to blame and indicate opinion where needed. That's why I said your behaviors were a 'tell on intent'. I have no idea who you are or why you created an account just to comment on this story, but I guarantee there is more to it than what meets the eye.
As a long time HN reader, you should know that the condescending "super sleuth" mention was unecessary. It should also be apparent that your highly defensive comment with a very new account would raise eyebrows. The "hope this helps" ending also comes off as passive-aggressive. We can do better.
The condescension and passive-aggression was fully intentional and really the only way to respond to such an asinine comment. Hope THIS helps; I could do better. Next time perhaps active aggression will be called for?
Comments
Folks, this is an account created 19 hours ago making half an apology and then rationalizing not listening to customers because they solved a "big" problem quickly. That's an ad hominum argument and as a result, a big tell on intent.
From my perspective, pushing out a new SSL build to a bunch of load balancers in a highly automated network like AWS is probably, by this point, a trivial task. Actually listening to the customer and responding decently is MUCH harder. Clearly it could be done better, which is the point of the post.
Rise above getting offended/scared about being called "amateurs" and start talking more about what goes on in that creepy black box that is AWS. You owe the world that much, at the very least.
These responses I always see on HN when there is an AWS issue always show me how disconnected many of the commenters are from reality, or from ever being involved in a huge infrastructure.
Sure the AWS status page doesn't have a hip web 2.0 AJAX backed d3.js powered cool looking status page. Yes they don't update it every 3 minutes with new info, but many (most) of the problems that one off customers see do not reach a threshold that would ever effect enough customers to make it into a dashboard post. I do think they need to speed up their status updates, but these posts need to get OK'd by a decent number of people before they get thrown up.
There are usually multiple ELB instances living on every rack of every datacenter in every AZ in every region of AWS. Relaunching / patching hundreds of thousands of instances in 48 hours with minimial disruption to customers, is a lot harder than you think.
I'm not disconnected from reality. I actually understand the problem at hand and understand it is a lot of work for some engineers. However, it's still likely it's old hat techniques by now, hence the 'trivial' remark. Also, the context of the comment I was responding to was correlating 'fixing in 48 hours' to not being marketing amateurs.
My primary point agrees with your second paragraph, which is that they could do better on the status updates. Unfortunately this has been going on for YEARS at AWS, so it's worth ratcheting up the tone when talking about it. It's important, and they need to fix it.
Hey there super sleuth... not sure what you're trying to imply but I'm not affiliated with Amazon nor do I use their AWS service. I do not speak for them. I am not making an apology on their behalf. I suggest you stop levying false accusations and avoid using words that you simply don't understand ie. ad hominum (not only did you spell it wrong, but you've misapplied it).
To clarify: I'm a long time HN reader that finally got around to making an account (and certainly not for the express purpose of defending Amazon). However, I did want to call the author out on writing a terribly unfair knee-jerk, heat-of-the-moment indictment of AWS (this type of thing is unfortunately all-too-common in the tech community: actual amateurs writing as if they are a central authority about subjects that they have something approaching 0 understanding of. For example: the multitude of complex engineering and PR challenges a service provider like AWS faces during something like the Great OpenSSL Exploit of 2014). What I'm trying to say is: cut them some slack. Their response seemed perfectly reasonable to me.
Hope this helps.
I spell things wrong all the time and sometimes hominem doesn't get caught by the spell checker. So fucking what? It's ironic that you call this out because, well, it's an ad hominem argument in and of itself. You are attacking one thing (or supporting one thing) to prove another point. Wikipedia says it best, "claim or argument is rejected on the basis of some irrelevant fact". Claiming AWS isn't practicing amatuer hour based on the fact they rolled out fixes in 48 hours is making an ad hominem argument. Amazon's marketing department is distinctly different from their engineering department. It's irrelevant that they are technically competent enough to patch this when you consider the fact the marketing/communications department could give two shits about how they tell anyone what has been fixed.
In retrospect, what I should have done is called out the blaming statements you made in your first post. That's what brought me to action and caused me to write my response the way I did. I should know better than trying to rationalize with someone who is in dissonance. BTW, narrowrail called you out below for this blaming statement here. Pay attention - people are giving you feedback. Take it or leave it.
Vote down all my comments if that makes you feel better. Karma is meant to burn. It's also a tell that this story dropped off the main page and I'm still getting downvotes on my comment. AWS koolaid much?
Oh, and FWIW, I am a super sleuth. A super sleuth of human behavior and emotional response. I also watch what I say about others, trying not to blame and indicate opinion where needed. That's why I said your behaviors were a 'tell on intent'. I have no idea who you are or why you created an account just to comment on this story, but I guarantee there is more to it than what meets the eye.
As a long time HN reader, you should know that the condescending "super sleuth" mention was unecessary. It should also be apparent that your highly defensive comment with a very new account would raise eyebrows. The "hope this helps" ending also comes off as passive-aggressive. We can do better.
The condescension and passive-aggression was fully intentional and really the only way to respond to such an asinine comment. Hope THIS helps; I could do better. Next time perhaps active aggression will be called for?
Please don't make posts like this to HN.
The way to respond to an asinine comment, if you must respond, is to politely refute it.