The Ultimate SysAdmin Gamble: $1 Million vs. the MikroTik CLI
Description
A 'Will you push the button?' meme format posing a high-stakes choice for tech professionals. The top text asks, 'Will you push the button?'. Below this is a large, red push-button. The meme is split into two outcomes. On the left, under the text '99% chance of getting $1 million', there is a large pile of hundred-dollar bills. On the right, under the text '1% chance of having to learn the MikroTik CLI', there's a collage of MikroTik networking hardware, including a rackmount Cloud Router Switch, a hEX series router, and other devices. The humor comes from the extreme exaggeration that the 1% risk of having to learn the notoriously complex and non-standard MikroTik Command Line Interface is so daunting that it makes one hesitate to press a button for an almost-guaranteed million-dollar prize. It's a relatable joke for network engineers and system administrators who have struggled with esoteric vendor interfaces
Comments
12Comment deleted
I'd push it. Worst case, I spend the million dollars hiring a team of Latvian engineers to configure the firewall, and I'd probably still have enough left over for a coffee
Sure, a million bucks is nice, but have you ever tried explaining to finance why the cost overrun is just you grepping through '/interface bridge vlan print' for the fifth hour straight?
The real gamble isn't the million dollars - it's explaining to your team why you chose MikroTik over Cisco, then spending six months deciphering RouterOS syntax while your OSPF neighbors wonder why you're sending malformed LSAs at 3 AM
MikroTik CLI: where `/interface ethernet set [find default-name=ether1] name=wan` is considered 'intuitive' and the documentation assumes you already know what you're looking for. It's the networking equivalent of learning Vim - you either become enlightened or spend eternity trying to exit. At least with $1 million, you could hire someone who already survived the RouterOS learning curve and still has their sanity intact
I’d still push it - worst case the million bankrolls a lab, because RouterOS is the only CLI where a “quick” bridge tweak bricks the remote box faster than a Friday deploy without commit‑confirmed
99% riches? Nah, netengs know that 1% CLI risk means memorizing /ip firewall mangle rules forever - no payout beats that PTSD
That 1% is still higher than the chance I type “/interface bridge vlan” correctly on RouterOS without black-holing the network - better keep the $1M for the out‑of‑band
I'm going to be spamming that button because I already learned and holy shit Comment deleted
the chance of me living in this country instead of any other country was 1% so no Comment deleted
win-win situation Where is the button? Comment deleted
sure, mikrotik cli is on my todo anyway Comment deleted
if it is not 100% then it is 50/50 Comment deleted