Diary of a Network Geek

Here’s something that’s perfect for Halloween!

There’s an interesting, little hobby that especially obsessive-compulsive artists go in for called “case modding”. It’s all about taking a normal PC and doing all kinds of crazy stuff to its case so that it becomes a work of art. So, in the spirit of Halloween, here’s a site that features an erie, glowing spider casemod. Have fun!

but, I lost the energy.

So, last week Friday, I bust my butt to get a damaged server fixed and out into the overnight deliveries so that my customer, the end user, can get working again. Good for me, right? No. They get their server before 3:00pm on Monday, as promised, then plug it in, turn it on, and walk away. Just hit the road and head home without making sure that it came up at all. Now, I’m sure that they had their reasons, but I worked an extra hour on a Friday, doing a less-than-perfect rushed job, just so they could get their files. And they didn’t care. That’ll teach me.

Then, I’m chasing backup issues all week this week. Trying to get people to change tapes should not be this hard. I mean, it’s once a week on Monday and that’s it. Just one, little 10 minute job to make sure they have their data in case of a crash. But, it’s like pulling teeth to get some of them to remember to do it.
And, while I’m doing that, I discover that one remote site has basically moved out of the building they were in a week ago and there’s no one there to change the tape. But no one told me!
Shoot, a majority of the people who are responsible for it don’t even read the report I send out every day with backup status. So, why do I bother?

Oh, yeah, because I’m a professional with 10+ years of experience and that’s what I do. Because working in IT is a damn thankless job that no one appreciates until they’re having problems. Because I’m damn good at what I do, even when the odds are against me. And, because that’s why they pay me. That’s my job.

for MicroSoft!

At least, according to this article on Wired News. The software giant is starting to feel the tiny arrows of the Linux pygmy. Seems that the State of Massachusetts has been given a mandate by their money-men to embrace an “open standards, open source” policy for all their future software investment. Hmm, I wonder what they could mean by that?

Go, Tux GO!

Especially if you’re in IT!

According to this article on AustralianIT, Coke plans to keep its IT operation on-shore for the next five years. Now, the article talks about Coca-Cola’s Australian operation, but one can assume that this attitude would be true of their American operation as well. So, c’mon you network geeks out there, let’s show them our support and buy a Coke! If you’re on a diet, like me, you can always get a Diet Coke!! Or, one of Coca-Cola’s other brand of soft drinks.
So, now, thanks to their right-minded policy of keeping outsourcing out of their IT strategy, Coca-Cola has another loyal customer. How about you? Do you put your money where your mouth is?

Here’s just one example.

You can’t control a foreign workforce with domestic laws. Oh, but that would never be a problem, right? WRONG! Check this story at the Sanfrancisco Gate. So, is it a good idea to let sensitive data go off-shore for entry when it could get released without permission? I don’t think so. After all, I’m not sure I want my medical records open for all to see. And, if you have any kind of psychological issues, would you want records of that to be publicly available? Based on the situation in that article, it could.
So, do you still think off-shore outsourcing is a good idea?

They’re bringing him back for his 40th anniversary!

No, really, a new Dr. Who series is going to be done for the BBC. For those of you who are big geeks like me, you already know who Dr. Who is. For those of you who don’t… Well, it’s about time you were educated.
Though it’s hard for me to believe that the Good Doctor has been around for fourty years, he apparently has. And, he’s still popular enough that BBC1 will be airing a new series based on the classic series. The series was about an immortal, time-travelling, space travelling alien who was out to protect the universe from any and all baddies. At his disposal to aid in this duty were the TARDIS and his sonic screwdriver, among other toys. And, of course, his ever-faithful humanoid companions. (Not all of them were actually humans from Earth.) Oh, the memories this brings back!
You can read more about this at the Official BBC Dr. Who Website.

(And, yes, I wrote about this yesterday at my other blog.)

David J. Bradley.

According to this article on GannettOnline, he’s they guy who invented the “ctl-alt-del” key sequence for rebooting a computer. Though it was intended as a developer’s tool, everyone who’s ever run a version of Windows is familiar with the “three-finger salute” as the key sequence is known in IT circles. So, think of him everytime you reboot.

Well, so they say…

Now, my wife still can’t find work in web-land, aside from some small, personal contracts, but according to this article on Wired News, the job market is picking up. Of course, this is an anecdotal upswing, but it’s a start. As budgets loosen up, so does the job market. And, since tech-geeks took such big hits during the down-turn, it makes sense that we’re starting to get re-employed. After all, the data must flow (written with apologies to Frank Herbert).

Well, I hope all you out-of-work network geeks are starting to get nibbles at least. Good luck!

I got my business cards yesterday.

Okay, so I’ve gotten the Human Resources speech and filled out forms. I actually collected my first paycheck. But, now, I am officially a Loomis Fargo and Company employee.

Cool.

…with a tiny foot-print!

Apparently, someone has developed the ultimate add-on upgrade for a PC. This little sucker, which is actually a series of PCI cards, turns a regular desktop PC into the world’s smallest supercomputer! According to this article on Wired News, this “upgrade” costs around $25,000, which is chump-change compared to the millions that supercomputers normally cost. Okay, now, imagine a Beowulf cluster of these! (Yes, I’m kidding. I can’t imagine that such a thing would actually be possible. It would be cool though, wouldn’t it?)
Anyway, it seemed like a good article for a Monday morning. Sort of inspiration for getting more done, or something. Well, it was cool. Every Monday should start with something cool.