The Brazilian system does not exist, but it works. Sometimes.
More precisely. The express training system in stressful conditions has existed for a long time. Traditionally, it is practiced in Russian factories and in the Russian army. Especially in the army. Once, due to a strange Russian TV program called 'Yeralash', the system came to be known as 'Brazilian', although this name originally only refers to the positioning of players in football. At least, that's what Wikipedia says.
In general, everything is very strange with these Russians. Perhaps it's just a way of masking a secret effective art that has been passed down through generations. After all, the 'Brazilian system' probably had different names in ancient times, but likely all of them were very colloquial. At least Wikipedia doesn't know anything about such names.
So what about today, in the age of high technology? Can the 'Brazilian system' be applied in IT, and how can we make it work consistently, efficiently, and safely? Is it even feasible?
‘Theory without practice is dead, practice without theory is blind.’
Here's another widely known phrase greeting the newly minted holder of a higher education degree stepping onto the production floor for the first time: 'Forget everything you learned in college.' This phrase is a bit old, but it certainly hasn't lost its relevance. Today, to start working in IT, one needs to 'swallow' a bunch of books, courses, and instructions. And many of them, let's be honest, quickly become outdated or initially have little to do with real practice. It only becomes obvious when practice actually begins.
Because practice is the criterion of truth! At the same time, the practical method of trial and error does not suit us!
That is, theory is certainly needed, but we need its useful part that is relevant at the moment. Therefore, the fastest way for someone without special training to dive into a new field is for a person already working in a related profession and possessing a critical level of necessary knowledge. For example, a sysadmin wanting to become a developer, or a developer whose passion, as it turns out, lies in administration. Such cases are not that rare.
And in these instances, the 'Brazilian system' can indeed be effective.
Throw him in the water; if he wants to live, he'll swim out!
A bit of widely known information:
The worst learning approach can be the classic formula:
memorize -> prove you've memorized reward + 10.5% of 100% practical knowledge (but that's not guaranteed).The best learning approach is providing current, relevant knowledge along with simultaneous immersion in practice related to that knowledge. Many good courses are structured this way, for example, .
Of course, if a student has no opportunity to transition to continuous practice after completing such a good course, and considering how rapidly things change in IT today, it’s reasonable that the knowledge they've gained will eventually lose its practical value. However, it will be much easier for that student to regain the necessary skills when needed. A purely theoretical learner will essentially have to start from scratch.
If the goal is to master not just a body of knowledge, but to acquire a new profession, a complete, step-by-step immersion into regular practical actions is required. One needs to 'try out' the tools and machines, programs, and servers to connect all the new knowledge structures in their mind, receive appropriate feedback, evaluate it correctly, and reinforce it through their own actions. Real examples, actual working examples of different scales, and plenty of personal practice are essential!
And now for the secret ingredient! If you add a bit of stress to this mix, such as real responsibility, the process will become much more engaging. The key is not to overdo the stress. Since swearing, yelling, and inappropriate physical discipline will inevitably harm the applicant's psyche, we’ll have to opt for something like gently throwing them into the water, but with necessary safety measures. In this situation, the 'swimmer' will at least be confident they won’t sink or accidentally sabotage the production environment. Therefore, they will learn something.
Total
In this summary about the 'Brazilian system,' which is yet to be written, we established that:
- In order to quickly master a new type of activity or a new profession, a basic level of relevant, 'living' theoretical information is necessary.
- Take action! A useful theoretical background will help you not get stuck at the first practical step.
- Full immersion in a real working environment + real responsibility, albeit under the watchful eye of a mentor, will add stress and push you to actively develop in your new profession. Or it may just make you realize that 'maybe this isn’t for me'...
Practice
Everything written above is just theory. What does it look like in practice? For example, let’s take the company Southbridge, which specializes in server administration, and a team of night shift operators.
The night is their element. The night is full of silence, but frequently brings loud surprises, and during such hours, extra help for the operators certainly won't hurt. Our night operator is essentially the first line of defense, so the level of expertise and experience required is high, but not as high as that of the day-time administrators who run their own projects. At the same time, throughout the night, a whole fleet of servers in different countries and time zones rests on the shoulders of the night team, implying high responsibility and a samurai-like reaction — they must swiftly tackle any surprise or promptly connect it with the still-sleeping 'day team'. In short, it’s fertile ground for experiments in the style of the Brazilian system.
Let’s suppose a newcomer has appeared who possesses a basic level of knowledge and experience in system administration, it is sufficient is responsible, agrees to a low salary and night shifts. Most importantly, they are eager to understand the way of the system administrator. Here’s what they will gain after a bit of preparation:
- A real opportunity to change careers;
- Full immersion in a working environment with live servers and projects. And indeed interesting tasks;
- An understanding of the purity of their motives and intentions — the system administrator’s way does not forgive ignorance, inflated self-esteem, and weakness of spirit;
- The chance to grow in the profession, advancing to the next level of knowledge, responsibility, and salary.
- The possibility to travel for free across the country (sometimes briefly, and that's not certain);
- Unlimited cookies and coffee (if they remember to buy them before the shift :D);
- A cultured and friendly team in various corners of the country (indeed, the world), after all. And that's very important! Cultural literacy in the sense.
All these points have been practically confirmed, including by me, over several years of working as a night shift officer. And I should hasten to add that when we talk about the 'Brazilian system', it does not imply that a newcomer will gain experience at the risk of compromising a solid project's functionality, even though it may look that way right now (like in that episode of Ералаш). The proper organization of first-line work and a phased introduction to the process eliminates this danger.
In general, our company has its own views on many processes and its own attitude towards .
P.S.
By the way, we will periodically have one vacant position for a night shift officer. Keep an eye on this paragraph. Right now, there is actually one position available!
Are you ready to become a sysadmin under the Brazilian system? If it doesn’t work out, we’ll make you a manager or a speaker (under the Brazilian system, but that’s not certain, though quite likely). Write to job@southbridge.io
Source: habr.com
