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XKCD 1205 is completely wrong because it fails to account for the fact that manual work tends to introduce random errors into the mix which are difficult to rev
by faeriechangling 4y ago
XKCD 1205 is completely wrong because it fails to account for the fact that manual work tends to introduce random errors into the mix which are difficult to reverse. Whereas if automation is well designed, it's often very possible to correct any errors you made in the automation, and once you get it right it will always be right.
The other thing is that a task that takes 30 seconds doesn't just take 30 seconds, the context switch is actually quite a burden and even just having to remember to do the thing.
- ipaddr 4y agoWith an error rate of 10% Would you rather have 10% errors each time or 10% of the time the script has an error and could wipe everything out. Every place I've worked with accepts 10% returns, 10% of visitors leaving immediately, 10% of a customer's data being incorrect somehow. Very few accept perfect flawless followed by completely breaking everything 1/10 times.
- faeriechangling 4y agoYou should be fired if your automation is breaking 10% of the time. All I'm saying is that the true costs of manual work usually isn't accounted for correctly. I see these costs spiralling into so much wasted work that it starts incurring more and more risk. Preference for gradual decay over Big Bang collapses isn't nessecarily rational, people tend to prefer living next to coal plants than nuclear plants despite the fact they're far far far more likely to die living next to the coal plant. It is in fact that irrational bias which needs to be resisted.