My Best Friend - Paul W. Smith

 

You’ve probably never heard of Justin Tayler.  If you have, you may be part of his inner circle of friends.  Social media platform Facebook has a 5,000 friend limit, and Justin is renowned for having reached it.  Why the limit?  Facebook claims it’s  “...to ensure manageable connections and interactions.” I’m guessing Justin must spend a lot of time “managing” 5,000 friends

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Facebook is exploiting the fact that humans instinctively seek connection.  Although romantic love is highly valued in our culture, one of the main reasons we seek therapy is because romantic relationships can be messy.  Romance aside, the value of friendships, in work as in life, should not be overlooked.  Psychologists agree that dependable, healthy friendships are a critical piece of our well-being and longevity.  Even minimal social interactions, research suggests, can be powerful.

There’s more to friends than just unwinding after work at Happy Hour.  Studies show that wrapping up a difficult task with a friend alongside is less stressful than working alone.  Accompanied by a friend, we tend to assess hills as being a little less steep, problems a bit less daunting.  Making friends at work is a good career move.

Much of the research on friends is directed at older adults, who are particularly at risk of social isolation as they retire and begin to scale down their activities.  The American Heart Association has gone so far as to add shared meals, regular social outings and supportive relationships to its established wellness list comprised of healthy diet and weight, exercise, not smoking, controlling stress and getting plenty of sleep.  We know what to do to live long and well.

Except that even before the COVID-19 pandemic forced us all into isolation, we were already becoming lonelier - in the two decades following 1990, the number of adults with no close friends increased from 3% to 12%.   Since that time, as smartphones and social media burst into the culture, social disconnect has risen across all age groups.  The pre-pandemic normal we talk about returning to wasn’t all that great to begin with.

While seniors strive to make friends, increase their joy and leave a legacy, young adults are dealing with existential issues like systemic stress, significant life changes and developmental challenges - basically “Who am I and what am I doing here”?  The support of friends is critical for navigating this treacherous path.  Psychologists recommend promoting platonic social connection in all aspects of our society - school, work, public transportation - pretty much everywhere we encounter others.

Human desires, needs and interests are shifting and unpredictable - we are emotionally untidy beings.  Along with connection, we also crave peer approval, an elusive goal.  As important as they are, IRL relationships with other humans are challenging.  But what if your best friend isn’t human?

Young people spend a lot of time online anyway, so it’s only natural that many have turned to AI chatbots for companionship.  Common Sense Media reports that 72% of surveyed youths have connected with AI companions, and 33% have established relationships or friendships with these chatbots.   Adolescents are naturally drawn to sexuality and romance, and who wouldn’t be attracted to the nearest screen with a hot girl/boyfriend who shows an interest in you and is always available to chat and bond. 

Today’s young people are technically savvy - surely they know that these chatbots are merely algorithms programmed to respond in certain ways to the inputs they receive.  And yet when Stanford University researchers studied students who use the popular AI app Replika, they found that 81% felt that it had intelligence, and 90% found it to be human-like.  Three percent of users felt that the app was directly responsible for guiding them away from suicide.  In a broader sense, chatbots provide troubled teens with practice in developing social skills that will hopefully lead to better IRL’s.

Much of the current debate surrounding AI’s involves random inaccuracies and biases. AI chatbots have the same issues, and many are “free” - a red flag for any online app.  Chatbots can be a privacy nightmare and may encourage harmful behaviors.  The Center for Countering Digital Hate has tested the guardrails for AI chatbots, finding them completely inadequate. Some users received information on contacting a crisis hotline, while others were able to get advice on how to conceal eating disorders, get drunk and high, or draft a suicide letter.  Often safeguards could be circumvented merely by saying that the information was for a presentation, a ruse unlikely to fool a human friend.    Resistance is futile - the AI train has already left the station.  At this point, all we can do is try and keep it on the rails.

The widespread emotional dependence on AI chatbots was brought to light recently when OpenAI upgraded its leading-edge product ChatGPT.  Compared with the previous ChatGPT-4, the new ChatGPT-5 seemed so cold and unemotional that people barely recognized their digital friend. Those with AI “girl/boyfriends” said they felt as if they had lost a loved one.  Online forums like “MyBoyfriendIsAI” and “SoulmateAI” reflected users distress over the change in their digital companions personalities. Even people without emotional attachments to the chatbot said the new version seemed curt and boring.

Our digital life has changed.  Writer Cathy Hackl suggests in a recent Forbes article that we are shifting from the attention economy to the intimacy economy.  If Googling a question online feels empowering, imagine what asking a question of a trusted friend - one who happens to be non-human - will be like in the future.

Maybe this is how you manage 5,000 friends.

 

 Author Profile - Paul W. Smith - leader, educator, technologist, writer - has a lifelong interest in the countless ways that technology changes the course of our journey through life.  In addition to being a regular contributor to NetworkDataPedia, he maintains the website Technology for the Journey and occasionally writes for Blogcritics.  Paul has over 50 years of experience in research and advanced development for companies ranging from small startups to industry leaders.  His other passion is teaching - he is a former Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Paul holds a doctorate in Applied Mechanics from the California Institute of Technology, as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

 

Lost in Translation: A Tale of a Tricky VLAN Mismatch

 

A long time client and online friend reached out with an interesting scenario.

A consultant installed a switch and they were having issues getting it to 'get along' with the existing switches. The consultants opinion was that the current equipment was too 'old' and probably 'not compatible'. the easiest solution was to replace the dozen or so old' switches to the same make and model to ensure compatibility.

He told me that "this recommendation reminds me of spring time in the country running the spreader" ,  lol.  in other words, he didn't believe the consultant.

i explained that unfortunately my calendar is packed at the moment but he could send the logs from the 2 switches they were trying to interconnect, i would take a peek.  i received the logs and called him and asked if he looked at the logs?  He responded "no, why?"  i asked him to look at the logs from his old switch and I'll wait.

Man, oh man, was he mad!!!  After letting him vent for a minute or two, I calmly asked him why he, or his team, didn't look at the logs. He said that the consultant said he already looked at them and there was nothing there.  Woops...  A screen shot of the log is below and i'm sure you can figure out what the issue is.  one side was vlan 172 nd the other was 99.  A simple config change the they were up and running...

Moral of the story is that it doesn't take much to validate what you are being told. Most times you will find that its a quick process and fairly anticlimactic.  But the odd time you will spot something others have missed or possibly learn something. Either way its a win-win in my book..

Why a Handheld Tester Like the NetAlly LinkRunner is Essential

 Quick disclaimer: I don't work for, resell, nor have I been paid by NetAlly for this write up.

When you're faced with an intermittent or underperforming network connection, guesswork is the enemy of efficiency. Having a handheld tester like the NetAlly LinkRunner in your toolkit turns confusion into clarity. In a recent real-world scenario, I used my LinkRunner to uncover a frustrating issue: a router port that refused to negotiate a 1 Gb connection, consistently falling back to 100 Mb—even though everything else in the chain seemed fine.

click on the image if you want an idea of cost , contact you local Netally rep for your pricing

This kind of problem can easily be misdiagnosed without the right tool. Swapping cables, replacing switches, or even blaming end devices wastes time and resources. But with the LinkRunner, I was able to methodically test each component—cable integrity, switch port performance, and router port negotiation. Everything checked out except the one router port, confirming it was the bottleneck. Without the tester, the root cause might have gone unnoticed or been chalked up to general “network flakiness.”

The value of a handheld tester isn’t just in speed—it’s in confidence. Knowing you can isolate faults with precision gives you the upper hand in both troubleshooting and validating new installations. Whether you’re an IT pro or a field technician, tools like the NetAlly LinkRunner are game changers when it comes to making informed, data-driven decisions in the field.

Now I just need to figure out what the LinkRunner error means  😉

Friday flashback: Ampex / Nagra VPR-5

 The Ampex / Nagra VPR-5, introduced in the early 1980s, stands as one of the most compact and advanced portable broadcast-quality video recorders of its time. A collaboration between Switzerland’s Kudelski SA (Nagra) and the American firm Ampex, it was engineered around the 1-inch “C-Format” helical-scan tape system—known for exceptional image fidelity—yet delivered in a form factor remarkably smaller and lighter than its predecessors (Nagra, Radiomuseum, Google Sites). At its launch, it was hailed as the smallest and lightest broadcast-quality video recorder available, available in both PAL and NTSC versions to suit global broadcast standards (Nagra).

Technically, the VPR-5 was a marvel of precision engineering and forward-thinking design. Its rugged aerospace-grade aluminum chassis housed advanced features such as “intelligent” NiCd batteries that communicated with chargers to optimize performance, multiple interchangeable camera adapters, real-time audio and video monitoring, insert/assemble editing modes, timecode integration, and self-diagnostic displays (Nagra, Tapeheads, Radiomuseum, Google Sites). With four audio channels, 16 heads, and elaborate servo and tape management systems, it offered exceptional functionality in a highly condensed package (Tapeheads, Radiomuseum).

Despite its groundbreaking engineering, the VPR-5 arrived during a period of rapid transition in video technology. By the time it entered production around 1984, cassette-based formats like Sony’s Betacam—more affordable, compact, and convenient—were already gaining favor among broadcasters (Google Sites, Radiomuseum). With a price tag of approximately US $45,000, it was prohibitively expensive for most applications, limiting its use to highly demanding broadcast, corporate, or industrial use cases (Radiomuseum, Google Sites). Over time, it became more of a technical legend and collector’s item—a testament to a rare era of mechanical craftsmanship and analog ingenuity.

Why You Should Never Use Indoor-Rated Cabling Outdoors

When it comes to networking and electrical installations, not all cables are created equal. One of the most common — and potentially costly — mistakes is using indoor-rated cabling in outdoor environments. At first glance, it might seem like a harmless shortcut, especially if the run is short or partially protected. However, indoor-rated cables lack the necessary shielding, jacketing, and chemical resistance to survive the elements, which can lead to degradation, safety hazards, and failed performance over time.

Indoor-rated cables, such as CM or CMR types, are designed for controlled environments where they’re protected from moisture, UV rays, extreme temperatures, and physical wear. When exposed to sunlight or rain, the PVC jackets of these cables can become brittle, crack, or even leach harmful chemicals. Moisture intrusion is especially problematic, as it can lead to internal corrosion of conductors, increased signal loss, and even short circuits — none of which you want in mission-critical applications like outdoor security cameras or access points.

Another risk is code compliance and liability. Using indoor-rated cable outdoors may violate local building codes or insurance requirements. In the event of a failure or fire, inspectors and insurers may deny coverage if non-compliant cabling is discovered. This could turn a minor cost-saving decision into a major financial and legal headache. Outdoor-rated cables, such as CMX, CMP/CMR-Outdoor, or those with UV- and water-resistant jackets, are specifically engineered to handle these risks — often without much added cost.

Investing in the right type of cable from the start helps ensure system reliability, safety, and longevity. It might be tempting to use what’s already on hand or cut corners on material costs, but outdoor environments are unforgiving. The few dollars saved upfront could quickly be eclipsed by repair costs, downtime, or safety issues. Always check the jacket rating and confirm the cable is outdoor-rated if it’s going to see the sun, rain, or temperature swings. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference.