The Value of Concise Communication
Brevity is the soul of wit. And we need more brevity in our communications.
http://networkingnerd.net/2026/03/17/the-value-of-concise-communication/
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Tom Hollingsworth
@networkingnerd@techfieldday.net
mastodon 4.7.3Event Lead for Tech Field Day. CCIE. Scruffy-looking nerd herder. Networking engineer. Independent Network Analyst. Snarky blogger. Nerd.
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Joined November 18, 2022
Context Is Expensive
When it comes to learning and understanding, facts are easy. If I ask you how many bits are in an IPv4 address it's a single answer. People memorize facts and figures like this all the time. It's easy to recall them for tests and to prove you understand the material. Where things start getting interesting is when you need to provide context around the answer.
AI Is Just A Majordomo
http://networkingnerd.net/2025/10/29/ai-is-just-a-majordomo/
The Inattention Economy
If you're reading this you probably just got a notification to do something else. Read it anyway.
http://networkingnerd.net/2026/02/12/the-inattention-economy/
Is Cisco Live Still The Place To Be
I look back at Cisco Live 2025 from the social side.
http://networkingnerd.net/2025/06/17/is-cisco-live-still-the-place-to-be/
Wi-Fi 8 Already?
Wi-Fi 8 already? I'm still writing Wi-Fi 7 on all my checks.
Focus is In for 2026
Welcome to 2026. Can I write more than five posts this year?
AI Should Be Concise
One of the things that I've noticed about the rise of AI is that everything feels so wordy now. I'm sure it's a byproduct of the popularity of ChatGPT and other LLMs that are designed for language. You've likely seen it too on websites that have paragraphs of text that feel unnecessary. Maybe you're looking for an answer to a specific question.
Semper Gumby
By now I’m sure you’re familiar with Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” If you work in IT or events or even in a trade you’ve seen things go upside down on many occasions. Did you ever ask yourself why this happens? Or even what you can do to fix it? What about avoiding it completely?
The Heat is On
How hot do you think a modern rack can get? And how much of it is the network's fault?
Don’t Let AI Make You Circuit City
I have a little confession. Sometimes I like to go into Best Buy and just listen. I pretend to be shopping or modem bearings or a left handed torque wrench. What I'm really doing is hearing how people sell computers. I remember when 8x CD burners were all the rage. I recall picking one particular machine because it had an integrated Sound Blaster card.
http://networkingnerd.net/2025/07/22/dont-let-ai-make-you-circuit-city/
Do You Need To Answer That Question?
The age old question: Do you really need to be the one to answer that?
http://networkingnerd.net/2025/02/19/do-you-need-to-answer-that-question/
A Year of Consistency, Again
2024 was a year of being busy. You probably noticed as a loyal reader because my output on this blog fell off quite a bit. I wanted to get back on track per my New Year's Day post. How did I do? Sixteen posts for the whole year. Barely more than one a month. That doesn't mean I wasn't busy.
http://networkingnerd.net/2025/01/01/a-year-of-consistency-again/
You Can’t Patch People
One of the things I've noticed when it comes to IT is how quickly we're willing to use software to solve people problems. Over my career I've seen all manner of crazy solutions to get around people being lazy or uneducated. Remember vMotion? Or OTV for stretched layer 2? Why do you think those solutions came about? I posit that it's because it's faster to write software than to patch people.