While what you say is true (heck, I'm one of them), my point is that a great many network engineers have relatively strong programming backgrounds and if you could convince one of them to go back to writing code (sufficiently interesting project and/or right $$) you'd probably have better luck than finding a programmer that has networking skills.
Owen On Feb 28, 2012, at 5:18 AM, Brandt, Ralph wrote: > Owen, I can only say it is my opinion, based on some years of experience > and working with people who have come from both sides. I have seen more > people successfully move from programming to networking than the > reverse. > > > Ralph Brandt > Communications Engineer > HP Enterprise Services > Telephone +1 717.506.0802 > FAX +1 717.506.4358 > Email ralph.bra...@pateam.com > 5095 Ritter Rd > Mechanicsburg PA 17055 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Owen DeLong [mailto:o...@delong.com] > Sent: Monday, February 27, 2012 5:14 PM > To: david raistrick > Cc: Brandt, Ralph; NANOG > Subject: Re: Programmers with network engineering skills > > > On Feb 27, 2012, at 12:31 PM, david raistrick wrote: > >> On Mon, 27 Feb 2012, Owen DeLong wrote: >> >>> I think you're more likely to find a network engineer with (possibly > limited) >>> programming skills. >> >> While I'll agree about the more likely, if I needed a coder who had a > firm grasp of networking I'd rather teach a good coder networking, than > try to teach the art and magic of good development to a network guy. >> > > Well, I won't call myself a hard-core coder, but, I think I have a > reasonable grasp on the art and magic of good development. What I mostly > lack is speed and efficiency in the language of choice for whatever > project. I can write good code, it just takes me longer than it would > take a hard-core coder. > > OTOH, having done both, I would say that I think you are not necessarily > correct about which direction of teaching is harder. Yes, if you start > with a network engineer that knows nothing about writing code or doesn't > understand the principles of good coding, you're probably right. > However, starting with a network engineer that can write decent code > slowly, I think you will get a better result in most cases than if you > try to teach network engineering to a hard-core coder that has only a > minimal understanding of networking. > >> I think it really comes down to which you need: a hardcore network > engineer/architect who can hack up code, or a hardcore developer who has > or can obtain enough of a grasp of networking fundementals and specifics > to build you the software you need him to develop. >> > > I'm guessing that someone who needed a hard-core developer that could > grasp fundamentals would have grabbed an existing coder and handed him a > copy of Comer. > > The fact that this person posted to NANOG instead implies to me that he > needs someone that has a better grasp than just the fundamentals. > > Of course I am speculating about that and I could be wrong. > >> The ones who already know both ends extremely well are going to be > -very- hard to find, but finding one who can learn enough of the other > to accomplish what you need shouldn't be hard at all. >> > > Depends on what you need. However, I think it's faster to go from > limited coding skills with a good basis in the fundamentals to usable > development than to go from limited networking skills to a firm grasp on > how networks behave in the real world. To the best of my knowledge, > nothing but experience will teach you the latter. Even with 20+ years > experience networks do still occasionally manage to surprise me. > >> ...d (who is not exactly the former though I've played one for TV, and > not at all the later) > > I am admittedly lost given the three choices as to which constitutes > former or latter at this point. > > 1. Strong coder with limited networking > 2. Strong networker with limited coding > 3. Strong in both > > Owen > Who is a strong network engineer > Who has been a professional software engineer (though many years ago and > my skills are rusty > and out of date)
