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Virtual Machine Addiction: We've gone too far.

Posted by khess on · 72 comments
ZDNet Virtualization Blog; By Ken Hess
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You’re addicted to virtual machines. You spin up a new one for every little niche workload. It’s like any other addiction, it’s costing you and the price is too high to pay.

If you’ve read this column with any regularity, you know that I’m a proponent of virtualization. I’m a proponent of the Cloud. I’m a proponent of virtualizing every workload that can possibly be virtualized. I’m also a big proponent of being smart about computing. You can take virtualization too far. You can virtualize workloads that don’t need virtualization.

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Comments (72)

Thanks....

That picture was nice !
Which one? The strung-out junkie, jonesing for a big virtualization hit in the raised-floor machine room, or the one of Paula Rooney, Dan Kuznetsky and Ken Hess?

None of those 3 folks in the "author's pic" looked at all like I had imagined Ken Hess. I alternate between imagining him as a wizened geezer, and an overweight neck-bearded basement person.

But I also have to asK: is ZDNet Paula Rooney plus a bunch of stringers? She's billed as co-author of half-a-dozen ZDNet "blogs".
khess Story submitter ·
I'm the one in the middle.
khess Story submitter ·
Oh, and we create all our own pictures that we use in the posts.

I never thought I'd say this, but

48 earlier comments in the full thread.

I guess khess should have known better than to respond to the posts.
@Fettoosh, that's never stopped him before.
[serious]

I am so glad I restrained myself. Whereas Hans provided a reasoned, calm response mine was headed for nasty territory with my giving khess a too appropriate alias, with scurrilous connotations. With others when I cannot think of an appropriate appellation, I opt for the ridiculous. I do so that if there is any derision it is reflected in my direction. My intent mostly is humor (though I mostly fail, that's another damn thing Hans is better at than I) not verbal abuse of the supposedly addressed individual(s).

There is one area I truly envy Ken Hess. I only pretend to be a shill, whereas I suspect he may even be remunerated for his efforts. The world is so unfair ...

serious ended some where near here.

As always,

YBT
As a former M$ admin I like some of Ken's articles but they tend to be higher-level admin stuff which is rather fuzzy for debating over. His points are valid but it depends on the environment, loads, and systems one is working with. I usually don't defend them as I don't want to discourage the entertaining comments here.

What I would like to see is a voting system for articles. One where readers can vote for individual tags like "administration", "legal", "OpenOffice.org", or "FUD". Visitors can then sort/filter dynamically when browsing articles. Article posters get to vote for initial tags (just like any other visitor).

What would be helpful is implement a vote check where other readers can click on the tag for an article and see who voted for each. If it looks like there are a bunch of shill accounts that repeatedly vote for certain tags en masse then a visitor can tell the server to ignore votes from those accounts when calculating tags during article list page generation. This would prevent some of the abuse that shows up with voting systems on other sites.

A counter-algorithm could be offered that valued the votes from specific accounts more than others. This would allow narrow-minded individuals to share their tunnel visions better; essentially make LXer more "cult-friendly".
Quoting:What I would like to see is a voting system for articles....


I still prefer voting by posting.

One click vote is meaningless while "vote by post" would tell us why the vote went whichever way. Hence, a chance to respond with more posts.

@Fettoosh: What I am proposing doesn't prevent someone from commenting in addition to voting. "vote by post" also doesn't prevent someone from submitting a null comment. The difference is that a "vote by post" ends up cluttering the comments with posts from visitors that just wanted to vote without a comment.
The Other hans,

Let me get this straight, i.e.
Quoting: [I just want ...] posts from visitors that just wanted to vote without a comment.


to make it easier for trolls? Well sorry I am with Footsie on this one, his is the more reasoned approach. Moreover, it may shock you that nearly every individual working on the site is an unpaid, volunteer. Furthermore, it is better they concentrate on the article / story queue and writing content than administrating a potentially complex voting system of dubious worth.

[some seriousness bled in, sorry]

YBT
@Txt, you made me laugh.
Quoting:What I am proposing doesn't prevent someone from commenting ...


I didn't mean to insinuate it is not useful, what I meant to say is, I would prefer to know the reasoning behind a vote.

What you are suggesting would, in a glance, give the readers either a thumbs up or down. This could be beneficial to some.

Ken, you're not a good writer. Let's (really let me) analyze a little of the poor writing in opening of your article. (Sample text pasted below for your convenience.)

1. Two many perspectives. I, You, It, We...all in the space of four sentences. 2. Who is this "we" you're talking about? You don't know me, and I'm certainly not addicted, and it's certainly NOT hurting my business. 3. Your first rhetorical question is fair, and I was waiting for the answer. The first answer is self serving and cheap and employs a psychological fallacy. The third answer is plausible. The fourth answer is self-referentially incoherent, and by now I've lost interest in finding out the answer. 4. The whole tone is overwrought.

"I’m also a big proponent of being smart about computing. You can take virtualization too far. You can virtualize workloads that don’t need virtualization. We’re addicted to virtualization. It’s just too easy to perform a physical to virtual (P2V) conversion, to create a new VM from a template or to spin up a new VM from a standard request. It’s just too easy, and now, we’re addicted and it’s hurting our business."

"Does it sound like I’m backing away from an earlier post stating that you should virtualize any and all workloads? Or does it sound like I’ve allowed myself to be influenced by a small faction of Ken Hess “haters” who’d rather argue than listen?"

"It could be that I’ve caved in and relented. It could be that I’ve simply revised history."
> Ken, you're not a good writer...

Actually, that's not quite true. Ken has demonstrated, on occasion, that he's capable of writing quite well. It just that he normally doesn't bother to do so.
MBT: Well, I thought my comment above was pretty rude and arrogant, but I thought it was OK given the arrogance of Mr. Hess himself. The attitude: "I'm a senior professional certificated long time respected high-popularity ranking skilled ex-Fortune-500-company Linux user / writer, so if my articles don't make too much sense (like patrokov explains above), I can always pretend like I know a lot - even if my articles don't show (like dino says). Blegh, that attitude makes me sick.

And then asking for comments on the content. But if people have reasonable comments, like I think TracyAnne and Tuxchick have answered in the past about the cloud being not safe for your personal data, and I think I even mentioned a cloud is less water proof than a sieve, we don't receive a reply on content, and now Mr. Hess is talking about 'haters'. There comes a point in time I become upset, and my reaction above probably shows.

jd: Second that, IIRC I have read at least 10 decent articles from Mr. Hess.

jhansonxi: I've proposed changes to the commenting system before, like making it threaded so you can see who is replying to who and threads wouldn't derail so quick. Like now you are discussing the way LXer works while at the same time other people discuss the writings of Mr. Hess. I was met with some opposing opinions though, other people liked the one-dimensional commenting system. Like Txt suggests: Almost all of LXer is voluntary work, so implementing a complex system might be a bit too much to ask. I like your ideas though, and I know our 'topic' system is seriously outdated.

MBT: Should stress, I think you're better in humor than I am. Especially when you're contemplating underpants, I have spent three days under my desk ROFL'ing. Think you (and Paul, Dino, TC and some others) were one of the reasons for me becoming a regular at LXer! Yeah, it's all your fault, if you weren't so funny I wouldn't have become a regular in these forums, and I wouldn't be replying to senseless articles of capable-but-lazy writers! Shame on you! Now go stand in the corner, and no cookie.
@hans -

I'm sorry. Really.

Well, kind of. Maybe. Hmmm. Now that I think about -- Nah.

Re voting and complicted setups:

We already have a perfectly good voting systems. Some votes are long and some votes are short. Some (mine) are intelligent, clever, and insightful. Others might be.

We are free to tally and weigh votes on their merits.

We don't need no stinkin' system.

Badges might be nice, though.
dino,

Quoting:Badges might be nice, though.


If we are given badges, I nominate you for the first to be pinned and I as the pinner*. However, prepare for some pain, but believe me it's for a good cause and as a reward you so justly deserve.

YBT

* Afterward you might think my aim was off, but be assured I will be right on target. Shall we film it for a funding appeal?
@txt -

Mmmmm.

Pain.

Do I get to wear leather?

dino,

I gasp with surprise ...
Quoting:Do I get to wear leather?


Only if you want to, however, it must be bare or paper thin in the target area. Were you to wear it you would have fit in perfectly in a large parade that was held in NYC recently. Your writings say no, but your haberdashery says maybe.

I will drop it there,

YBT
@txt --

You must be referring to the Flay Pride parade, which I support heartily. We don't get much coverage because there's always some other parade taking place at the same time. I can't really blame the out-of-town reporters. They just tell the cabbies to take them to the pride parade and invariably end up at the wrong one.
Oh dino I was so mistaken. Nonetheless, you could take the wrong cab and do fine at either. What do you call it By something or other or is it Bye, Bye?

With that I take my leave,

YBT
Flay pride...the pain...owwww.....
@tc --

Sorry, chickie, couldn't help myself. It was there for the taking.

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