3 ms·

Maybe you're in the ERCOT service area? I manage IT for a global firm based in Minnesota and that is definitely not my experience. I think perhaps you unintenti

Maybe you're in the ERCOT service area? I manage IT for a global firm based in Minnesota and that is definitely not my experience. I think perhaps you unintentionally make the point that the electrical grid provides a demonstration of the value of regulation and the consequences of neglecting or dismantling it.

zdragnar 2y ago
Nope, I just happen to live in a rural area with lots of trees and a few really strong storms a year. A tree going down on a power line or a car crashing into a pole is pretty inevitable, despite the company's best efforts to keep the lines clear, including regular cutting back growth. I don't recall the last time I've had Windows itself crash on me... Two years maybe?
- velcrovan 2y ago
  Ask my engineers...Dell and Lenovo laptops crashing due to thermal issues while using CAD...graphics driver updates causing crashes. I think we've worked those out but those are some recent examples. For vanilla office users I agree it's comparatively uncommon. But we're not talking about isolated Windows crashes. We're talking about the impact of a single update to low-level software rolled out to thousands of critical systems as a security compliance checkbox-filling measure. No regulation, no oversight. I'm not calling for Joey Highschooler to need a government-issued license to hack on his SaaS, I'm saying that all components of critical infrastructure should be subject to engineering best practices, including software engineering and software management.
- adrianN 2y ago
  A tree going down on a power line is a solved problem in most of the civilized world: Just cut down trees that are too close to power lines. Having a few dozen meters of buffer or a sturdy railing between roads and power lines also prevents cars from crashing into them.

3 ms·

Maybe you're in the ERCOT service area? I manage IT for a global firm based in Minnesota and that is definitely not my experience. I think perhaps you unintenti

by velcrovan 2y ago

zdragnar 2y ago
Nope, I just happen to live in a rural area with lots of trees and a few really strong storms a year. A tree going down on a power line or a car crashing into a pole is pretty inevitable, despite the company's best efforts to keep the lines clear, including regular cutting back growth. I don't recall the last time I've had Windows itself crash on me... Two years maybe?
- velcrovan 2y ago
  Ask my engineers...Dell and Lenovo laptops crashing due to thermal issues while using CAD...graphics driver updates causing crashes. I think we've worked those out but those are some recent examples. For vanilla office users I agree it's comparatively uncommon. But we're not talking about isolated Windows crashes. We're talking about the impact of a single update to low-level software rolled out to thousands of critical systems as a security compliance checkbox-filling measure. No regulation, no oversight. I'm not calling for Joey Highschooler to need a government-issued license to hack on his SaaS, I'm saying that all components of critical infrastructure should be subject to engineering best practices, including software engineering and software management.
- adrianN 2y ago
  A tree going down on a power line is a solved problem in most of the civilized world: Just cut down trees that are too close to power lines. Having a few dozen meters of buffer or a sturdy railing between roads and power lines also prevents cars from crashing into them.