[CentOS] Dangerous Software Raid instructions on Wiki

Wed Aug 12 14:51:57 UTC 2009
Ray Van Dolson <rayvd at bludgeon.org>

On Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 10:41:10PM +0800, Chan Chung Hang Christopher wrote:
> http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/SoftwareRAIDonCentOS5
> 
> has:
> 
> dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=512 count=64
> dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb bs=512 count=64
> 
> Will the joker who put in this particular gem without any warnings or a 
> clear explanation for those who need a clueby4 with regards to file 
> systems please either remove the instructions or add a very clear 
> warning that damage to file systems that is not recoverable will result 
> if run on the wrong disk(s).
> 
> My successor at my previous job has gleefully followed those 
> instructions (he seriously needs a clueby4 which is why he bothers to 
> actually read HowTos) and on a production box (who wants pop-corn and 
> soda? Sorry, the er support conversation will not be on irc) and I think 
> this seriously highlights the need for HowTo writers to seriously 
> consider their audience as dumb monkeys that just follow whatever you 
> tell them to do without thinking if you do not list out things they 
> first have to think about or questions they first need to answer.
> 
> Christopher

Dumb people will find ways to be dumb no matter how much you dumb
things down... :)

Your "successor" could easily have followed the above instructions on
the completely wrong system as well or done something eqaully
destructive with another command in that or other HOWTO's...

Nothing wrong with putting a warning or replacing "sd[ab]" with
something bogus though if the authors like.

Ray