To [quote myself][1]: There is a reason that for the past 20 years [Simon Travaglia][2]'s long running BOFH series [continues][3] to have enormous appeal to system administrators. 

Many problems really require only a generous application of the [LART][4]. Some of our contributors are polite about that, others leave PC where it belongs, in the office where they get paid for it and prefer to make unambiguous comments and call a turd a turd. 

Technology is often like that, unambiguous. You're either doing it right and it works, or you're doing something wrong. They're no shades of grey, almost doesn't make it work.  

That simple fact is reflected in our professions communication.

People often attribute too much emotion to what gets written online and those should probably stick to interpreting poetry instead of requesting advice from acerbic system administrators giving blunt direct answers or, heaven forbid, who are actually trying to be funny.  


  [1]: https://meta.serverfault.com/a/6736/37681
  [2]: http://bofh.ntk.net/BOFH/
  [3]: http://www.theregister.co.uk/data_centre/bofh/
  [4]: http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/L/LART.html