Re:Ask HN: What tasks do you automate?
by natch on Sunday July 16, 2017 @01:38PM
(#14783141)
I love XKCD but that chart is missing a few important dimensions.
- How likely is it that you will make a mistake when performing the task manually, and how easy is it to fix the various mistakes that can be made?
- How likely is it that you'll overlook the task when the time comes? (e.g. SSL cert expiration)
- What are the costs of mistakes or failure to complete the task?
- What skills can you learn while developing the automated solution?
- How can techniques developed for the automated solution be reused for other tasks?
Of course it's fair to ask questions on the other side of the equation, too, like: if the automated solution goes bad, or is run in the wrong environment, what are the risks?
- How likely is it that you will make a mistake when performing the task manually, and how easy is it to fix the various mistakes that can be made?
- How likely is it that you'll overlook the task when the time comes? (e.g. SSL cert expiration)
- What are the costs of mistakes or failure to complete the task?
- What skills can you learn while developing the automated solution?
- How can techniques developed for the automated solution be reused for other tasks?
Of course it's fair to ask questions on the other side of the equation, too, like: if the automated solution goes bad, or is run in the wrong environment, what are the risks?