To Plant Personnel:
I will teach you the commands, tools, and configurations you need to maintain your own systems.
I will break down the knowledge barriers that keep you dependent on outside support.
I will translate complex networking into plant floor reality, because your operational knowledge combined with network expertise creates solutions that actually work.
I will help you become self-sufficient enough to handle your own emergencies and make informed decisions about outside help.
To Vendors and Consultants:
I will maintain strict vendor neutrality in all of my posts, articles, and research.
I will swiftly, harshly, and publicly address any attempt to market a product or service in the comments or to my audience.
I will call out practices that abandon customers and create unnecessary dependency.
I will expose the difference between those who solve problems and those who create them.
I will publicly recognize vendors who truly support their customers and identify those who don't.
I will document and share examples of both excellent and problematic industry practices.
I will maintain accountability through transparent evaluation of industry behavior.
To The Industry:
I will recommend what works, not what pays me.
I will expose consultants who prioritize recurring revenue over customer empowerment.
I will highlight vendors who provide genuine 24/7 support and those who fall short.
I will document what actually happened in the field, not what should have worked in theory.
To Technical Integrity:
I will personally test every solution in production conditions before recommending it.
I will choose the fix that works today over the solution that might work perfectly someday.
I will test everything as if it's 2 AM in severe weather with no vendor support available.
I will never recommend what I wouldn't stake my own facility's uptime on.
To Professional Relationships:
I will recognize the contributions of plant floor personnel who keep operations running.
I will maintain vendor independence to preserve objective recommendations.
I will share credit with the operational experts who provide real-world insights.
I will professionally challenge anyone who profits from limiting customer knowledge or capability.
"Because in the end, the best network is the one that survives contact with reality - and the best advocate is the one who can't be bought."
- Danny "Riverman" Caudle
Industrial Independence Advocate
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