There’s got to be something to be said about “flock theory” and the Internet these days.  Why can’t we realize that there’s a population distribution to just about everything, and that there are outliers?  They really should have at least one logic class requirement for journalists.

Great example, the iPhone  / Duke University hub-bub.   Now before anyone accuses me of being a fan-boy, I have no interest in the iPhone.  I wasn’t excited by it, I didn’t wait in line for it, I can’t see myself owning one.  I write this not to condemn the iPhone, Duke, Cisco, or anyone other than those who gave this story press.  Facts of the story:

1. A bajillion iPhones sold
2. A gazillion (which is more than a bajillion) WiFi networks out there
3. Duke University has a WiFi network
4. Some Duke Students and Faculty  bought iPhones
5. Duke’s WiFi network uses Cisco gear
6. Duke’s WiFi network had problems recently.

Media Conclusion:  

Duke Wi-Fi Crippled by Apple iPhones

And that’s not some message board or /., mind you, that’s a Yahoo! News story (dugg well, as it were).

IS IT THE IPHONE?

Now let’s think about this as a risk analyst might:

1. A bajillion iPhones sold and a gazillion WiFi networks out there - is anyone else having “crippling” problems?  Panera Bread?  Other Universities?  T-Mobile?  No?  Hmmmm…..
2. Well, maybe Duke is using some off-brand WiFi equipment or something?  What?  It’s standard Cisco equipment?  Hmmmm……

So if the iPhone is working just fine on other similarly large (or larger) networks, and  other Cisco WiFi networks are handling iPhone populations just fine…

IS IT THE USERS? 

Well, maybe it’s the users!  iPhone users are probably those graphic artists and elementary school teachers, because they’re the only people who use Macs.  It’s probably them.  They couldn’t possibly use the iPhone WiFi configuration tool to send radio packets correctly.  They are probably too dumb to oscillate the tachyon particle frequencies.

But those technical neophytes surely are using their iPhones on other networks, right?

IS IT THE WIFI EQUIPMENT VENDOR? 

Maybe it’s the vendor!  This morning’s /. headline is:

Duke Wireless Problem Caused by Cisco, not iPhone

 But is that the case?  The /. commenting says:

The problem was actually with their Cisco network.

There’s a significant difference between Cisco “causing” the problem and a problem with Duke’s network that is run by Cisco equipment.

The issued statement from Duke’s CIO says that Cisco has given them a “fix”.  What is this “fix”?   Well, if Cisco issues a “patch” or update - maybe it’s something in their products.   Maybe we will hear other big Cisco-run WiFi networks needing a “fix”, too .

But given the “crippling” nature of the problem, wouldn’t we have likely heard of problems from other large Cisco WiFi networks by now, regardless of how “special” the Duke CIO insinuates their multi-protocol network is?

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s misconfiguration…

I tend to agree with many other folks - “fix” is probably a facesaving code-word for “re-configured Duke’s network for them”.

Tags: iPhone, Apple, Duke, Cisco, Stupid_Journalists

(via RiskAnalys.is)

July 21, 2007, 9:24am   Comments