How To Communicate Technical Concepts Understandably

Image via Freepik

The gap between complex technical expertise and the understanding of those outside the IT sphere poses a significant challenge. Tackling this dilemma demands more than just a comprehensive grasp of IT principles; it necessitates the skill to express these concepts in a universally comprehensible manner. In this article from raisethemwell.org, we aim to unveil practical strategies that IT professionals can utilize to effectively communicate their achievements to non-technical audiences.

Simplify Language

Start by reducing the use of jargon, which can alienate and confuse non-technical listeners/readers. Instead, break down complex terms into simpler, more relatable language. This approach ensures that your communication is digestible and doesn't exclude those unfamiliar with IT terminology. For instance, comparing a network firewall to a bouncer at a club can help illustrate its purpose in controlling access to a network.

Tailor Message to Audience

Consider the background and interests of your audience before crafting your message. This sensitivity allows you to customize the content, ensuring it resonates with their level of understanding and preferences. Adjusting your communication style to fit the audience’s profile demonstrates respect for their knowledge base and fosters a more meaningful connection.

Make Technical Concepts Relatable

Employ everyday experiences as a bridge to explain complex IT concepts. By drawing on familiar scenarios, such as comparing cloud storage to a digital filing cabinet, you can demystify technical processes. This method of using analogies and metaphors transforms abstract ideas into concrete, understandable terms, making the technical information accessible to everyone.

Leverage an AI Summarizer

Taking advantage of an AI PDF summarizer can greatly simplify the process of reviewing complex technical documents. This tool can efficiently extract and condense key points, presenting the relevant information in a more concise, easy-to-understand manner. By using an AI summarizer, you save valuable time and ensure that you grasp the essential aspects without getting bogged down in argot. If you're looking to streamline your document review process, consider this option to enhance your productivity and comprehension.

Utilize Visual Aids

Incorporating charts, graphs, and diagrams can effectively simplify complex data, making it more accessible and easier to comprehend. By utilizing visual representations, intricate processes and concepts can be elucidated, offering a clearer understanding of the subject matter. It is crucial to ensure that these visuals are intuitive, designed to enhance understanding rather than complicate it. Properly implemented, these aids can transform a dense data set or a complex process into an engaging, informative experience without overwhelming the viewer.

Craft Narrative Stories

Craft your IT accomplishments into engaging narratives, each with a clear start, development, and conclusion. Illustrating technical projects as tales that unfold challenges, strategies, and results not only captures your audience’s interest but ensures the details stick with them. This technique enriches the delivery of complex IT achievements, embedding them deeply in the listeners' minds. It turns the sharing of technical projects into an absorbing tale, making every element of the narrative linger with the audience long after the story has been told.

Utilize Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Highlight the success of projects through key performance indicators and metrics that resonate with non-technical stakeholders. By connecting these outcomes with the broader organizational goals, you underscore the impact and value of your work. This strategy ensures that stakeholders understand the significance of IT projects beyond the technical details.

Capitalize on effective communication techniques to highlight your contributions as an open-source contributor or an IT professional. Through strategies such as simplifying language, tailoring messages to the audience, and employing visual aids, you can bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders. Additionally, investing in continual education, such as with personal learning projects, certifications, or possibly online IT degrees, not only boosts your technical prowess but also enhances your ability to articulate complex ideas in accessible ways.

Disclosure
This article was brought to you by raisethemwell.org; this article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of continualintegration.com or its sponsors.

Why Does The Strongest Shall Survive by Bill Starr Advise Against Doing Deadlifts?

Problem scenario
You read in the book The Strongest Shall Survive by Bill Starr that deadlifts do not need to be part of a workout routine (or strength building program). Why is this?

Solution
Apparently it is geared toward football conditioning, and it was minimalistic to emphasize other lifts/exercises. (To read more, see this external posting.)

This is a rare but influential book. Many modern barbell programs include deadlifts.

Which Fitness Chains Use Hexagonal Weights?

Problem scenario
Does L.A. Fitness usually have hexagonal weight plates?

Solution
L.A. Fitness seems to use hexagonal weight plates. At 0:30 of a video it appears that L.A. fitness clubs tend to use hexagonal plates. You may want to call the club for more information.

Planet Fitness has smith machines without free barbells. So for deadlifting, it would not matter if the weight plates are hexagonal or round.

Gold's Gym, Anytime Fitness, Snap Fitness, Lifetimes Fitness, and Crunch Fitness usually (or always) have round weight plates.

24 Hour Fitness often has round weight plates available (along with hexagonal plates). To temporarily convert hexagonal plates to, buy a HexBumper device.

How Do You Do Deadlifting with Hexagonal Plates?

Problem scenario
Your gym has hexagonal plates. When you deadlift the weight rocks in unpredictable ways when you put it down. Deadlifts necessarily require you to pick up the weight from the floor (supported only by the ground, hence the term "dead"). It could hurt you if you place the weight down and the bar moves toward your shins. How do you deadlift with hexagonal plates?

Solution
Buy HexBumper plastic adapters for every 45 pound weight you use.

How Do You Distribute Traffic to Web Servers without a Load Balancer?

Problem scenario
You want to direct traffic to web servers (e.g., duplicative, stateless web servers). You want to do it without a load balancer (as they can become a bottleneck). What technologies could you use?

Possible Solution #1
Use Round Robin DNS. This DNS system can send traffic to a list of web servers. See more on cloudflare.com.

Possible Solution #2
Use Anycast.

In anycast, a collection of servers share the same IP address and send data from a source computer to the server that is topographically the closest.

https://www.imperva.com/blog/how-anycast-works/

Anycast is one-to-one routing mechanism (unlike a broadcast system).

[W]ith Anycast there are multiple possible destinations and the network itself picks the route that is most preferential.

https://blog.cloudflare.com/cloudflares-architecture-eliminating-single-p/

How Do You Troubleshoot the Python Error “(-5:Bad argument) CAP_IMAGES: can’t find starting number”?

Problem scenario
You installed cv2 with "pip3 install opencv-python"

You run a Python program, but you get this error:

[ERROR:0] global /tmp/pip-req-build-afu9cjzs/opencv/modules/videoio/src/cap.cpp (160) open VIDEOIO(CV_IMAGES): raised OpenCV exception:

OpenCV(4.5.3) /tmp/pip-req-build-afu9cjzs/opencv/modules/videoio/src/cap_images.cpp:253: error: (-5:Bad argument) CAP_IMAGES: can't find starting number (in the name of file): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcd1234 in function 'icvExtractPattern'

What should you do?

Possible Solution
The video file is not there. Check your code and verify that the uncorrupted video file is in the location your program thinks exists (the directory path and name).

How Do You Troubleshoot “Your python3 install is corrupted. Please fix the ‘/usr/bin/python3’ symlink.”?

Problem scenario
You run this command:

sudo do-release-upgrade

But you see this error:

"Your python3 install is corrupted. Please fix the '/usr/bin/python3' symlink."

What should you do?

Solution
Run this command:

tail -n 20 /var/log/dist-upgrade/main.log

Do you see a message like this?

2022-03-18 19:36:59,240 DEBUG python symlink points to: 'python3.5', but expected is 'python2.7' or '/usr/bin/python2.7'

If so, temporarily backup your python3.5 or python3.* file. Make a note of the location of this backed up file. Next, run this command:

sudo find / -name python2.7

Copy that file into /usr/bin/.

sudo mv -i /usr/bin/python /usr/bin/bak.python.bak
sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python2.7 /usr/bin/python

That may fix the problem. Try the original operation again [with a Python 2.x version].

How Do You Troubleshoot RDP Not Working?

Problem scenario
RDP is not allowing you to log into a Windows Server. What should you do?

Possible Solutions (that can be followed in random order)

  1. Is port 3389 blocked? Are you using iptables or a public cloud? Check egress ports from the client and ingress ports on the Windows server. You can use PowerShell or nmap to test port 3389.
  2. Are Remote Desktop Services running on the server?
  3. Can you make sure the Domain Controller is working correctly with the Windows server?
  4. Do you get a vague "internal error" when it fails. You may have misconfigured Network Level Authentication (NLA). Can you temporarily disable NLA on the Windows server? See this Microsoft article for further information.
  5. Can you use PowerShell or some other method to log in? Maybe your credentials are not working at all.
  6. Does the RDP client work with other Windows machines? If not, can you use a new RDP client? There are different clients for Windows and Linux.
  7. See this Microsoft article on troubleshooting RDP.