# Epitaph

Don’t outsource to automation because it’s easy, or because you don’t know how to do it. You won’t learn anything — and you’ll forget how the system actually works.

Learn the stack beneath the tool.

Remember: Ansible is just Python wrapped up nice, and Puppet’s Ruby underneath — which is even worse.

And don’t even get me started on containers, where the learning curve is nil and the abstraction is deep.

**Always** build on the lowest denominator — it survives everywhere. There’s no need for a framework just to clear your log files every seven days.

And most of all, remember the **Bus Rule** — if you’re not around, your code should still explain itself to the next human in line.

**Rooted. And always keep it human.**

Because sometimes you have to be root to do stuff.

*VHS owner since 1983 — and it still works. The MP3 collection stays. Deal with it (though my wife still votes no).*