Diary Of An IT Madman

2007-05-24T22:17:00.000-05:00

I wonder how many blogs have the phrase "sorry I haven't updated in a while but..."? I suppose it's not neccessary for me to state that now.

Life is good. New job is awesome- it's everything I wanted in a job at a much better company then I ever imagined I'd ever work at. I had to take a minor paycut, but the lifestyle changes easily outweigh the pay differential. I love my (not-so-new-anymore) job!

I still am struggling with what direction to take this blog. I haven't taken my company's official blogging guidelines class yet, and I doubt I want to make this any sort of official blog. I think by neccessity it needs to remain my outlet for my snide remarks and observartions. But maybe not.

2006-08-18T08:58:00.000-05:00

The Guns of August

Put my notice in on Monday. As of now, one more week left here. My new job is most likely (hopefully) going to change the tone of this blog, as the company I am going to work for is nowhere near as shortstaffed as my present position, and I will not be wearing as many hats (maybe I can leave my ass hat behind?). Perhaps there will be less ranting, and more usefull blog entries on here?

Ah, the excitement and promise of changing jobs!

2006-07-24T09:06:00.001-05:00

Fun with proxies and p0rn

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? I've been busy trolling my resume around, and with the 4th of July and the rest of the debauchery that accomponies summertime, I haven't had much time to blog.

But that hasn't stopped the madness. For example, the following request I received last week:

I want to view the following website.

http://nuclearweaponsarchive.org/nwfaq/nfaq6.html

for some research information on copper isotope production. The website was given to me by a contact at an isotope distributor.

The firewall prevents me from going there because it apparently activates
http://gogetsome.com/hardcore.html/?
which is a bad site.

I went to an unproxied machine and went to the URL the user was trying to get to, and what do you know? It redirects to a p0rn site. So, is this guy asking me to unblock it, knowing it redirects to a p0rn site?

So, if http://nuclearweaponsarchive.org/nwfaq/nfaq6.html website activates http://gogetsome.com/hardcore.html/?, and you want it unblocked, you are effectively asking me to unblock the porno site http://gogetsome.com/hardcore.html/?

Did I get that right? I checked out http://nuclearweaponsarchive.org and it is indeed a redirect to a porno site. If you are indeed doing research on copper isotopes, you need to realize that http://nuclearweaponsarchive.org is not related to that research.

My user was not amused:

thank you for your ignorant remarks. This ticket can be closed.

2006-05-15T13:26:00.000-05:00

It's a sign!

In the last month or so, both my boss and my helpdesk quy have quit. That's 50% of the IT department. I am giving some serious thought to joining their ranks, as former employees. The life of a free-wheeling independant consultant beckons. Oh, decisions, decisions.

When my boss quit back in March, he recommended some mouth-breather to replace him. His direct report hired him, without even bothering to vet him with me, or the rest of the IT department. When I finally did see his resume, I almost fell over: 15 years at a retailer with 65 users. Can you imagine working somewhere for 15 years in an environment that small? I guess that explains his glassy, vacant look...

2006-04-03T07:39:00.000-05:00

OFFICE SPACE

I swear that sometimes, the company I work for is a cross between OFFICE SPACE, Dilbert, and an out of control daycare.

The Marketing manager-on his own initiative-sent this out to all the "senior executives" in my company via the executive distribution list. While reading this, keep in mind, this was sent by the Marketing manager-you know, the guy who orders t-shirts and golf towels with the company logo on them, and who should be kept very far away from technology decisions:

From: (MARKETING MANAGER-NAME REDACTED)
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 12:00 PM
To: (COMPANY NAME REDACTED)Senior Executives
Subject: IPv6 - A Heads-Up
All -
Between now and (probably) 2008, the Internet as we know it will undergo a radical change, which will result in businesses undergoing substantial software and hardware upgrades (i.e., desktops, routers, software). Internet service providers will have to adapt also. And, amazing, new applications of Internet-based technology for both businesses and consumers will emerge. The big headline is that many businesses will be put at a competitive disadvantage if they do not adopt IPv6 and all it will enable.
IPv6 is short for "Internet Protocol Version 6". IPv6 is the "next generation" protocol designed to replace the current version Internet Protocol, IP Version 4 ("IPv4"), which has been around for 20 years. Most of today's internet uses IPv4, which has been remarkably resilient in spite of its age, but it is beginning to have problems. Most importantly, there is a growing shortage of IPv4 addresses, which are needed by all new machines added to the Internet.
IPv6, which has actually been in existance for five or more years, fixes a number of problems in IPv4, such as the limited number of available IPv4 addresses. It also adds many improvements to IPv4 in areas such as routing and network autoconfiguration. IPv6 is expected to gradually replace IPv4, with the two coexisting for a number of years during a transition period. However, the big news is that IPv6 will foster greater connectivity. Instead of today's 600 million computers connected to the Internet, there will be tens of billions of "always-on" connected devices (i.e., telephones, sensors in vehicles, cell phones, home environment controls). Everything will be person-to-person, with middlemen cut out of the communications channel. We'll all have discrete, portable IP addresses. The Internet will always be ON. Multi-media will get bi-directional and highly interactive.
The major milestones signifying IPv6 rollout are Microsoft's launch of their new Vista operating system (business version this year; consumer probably in 2007 or 2008); the Olympics in China, which will be staged entirely on an IPv6 platform (China adopted IPv6 five years ago and is far ahead of the US in infrastructure build-out), and the US Government mandate that says after 2008 the government will only purchase IPv6 compatible systems.
For more information, Google: "IPv6"

Maybe he should have Googled "CLUE" instead?

Here is another email, this one sent by the CFO of my company to all the users, er, employees (most of the "employees" in my company are either lawyers or bankers or both. This was not sent because we have a bunch of 17 year olds working here.):

From: (NAME REDACTED)
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 6:26 PM
To: All Employees
Subject: The use of email

I have a request. Please use email efficiently.

Several illustrations:

Write short concise emails,
Address emails to the right people (a longer distribution does not make the message more important),
Make your point very clear in a "friendly voice,"
Avoid carrying on conversations via email. For me I have lost track of the subject after the first response,
Know when to call on the phone rather than "firing off an email" and,
When you feel obligated to reply to an email that was sent to multiple recipients, think twice about using the "Reply to All" function. Many of the original recipients do not necessarily need to read your response.

Let's all increase our productivity by using (or not using) email more effectively.

If anyone is about to reply to this email, please stop and reread it.

2006-02-03T07:41:00.000-06:00

On Mobile Email

I went to a Microsoft partner training session a week ago that offered a lab/training for hands on to the Microsoft version of untethered email.

I am not impressed.

Inbox synchronization is one way, as opposed to full blown sync for RIMM/BB (if you open a message on the HH, it will not show opened in your inbox)
Provisioning is done manually, with settings having to be entered into the handheld, either by you or the hapless user.
The Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP), the software part that makes it all work, is to be released by individual mobile operators, and I suspect (did not get confirmation) on a per device model basis

Essentially, it is pretty rudimentary when compared to Blackberry. The rudimentery features of the initial release of this functionality is consistent with how Microsoft introduces them, which is something along the lines of upon initial release, 30% of a feature set is implemented. It will probably take 2 or 3 more releases of this feature to get it as a winning, compettitive solution. This assumption will, in my opinion, mean that sometime in 2007 (Exchange 12/SP1 perhaps?) this may be a serious competittor to RIMM/BB.

I still find Windows Mobile devices awkward and clunky, and this still has not changed with WM5.0. Last year I bought a Blue Angel device, that had the wonderful feature that if you let the battery remain uncharged and depleted for over 72 hours, you forced to restore the entire device. OUTSTANDING! Where do I sign up to buy hundreds of these units for my "tech savvy" users, who don't know how to tie their Technology Shoelaces, so to speak? I want ALL of my users calling me, often.

The beauty of the BB solution is that it minimizes and protects you from the greatest vulnerability and risk that daunts and confounds the success of any IT solution: The User. Personally, I can't see this displacing Blackberry. What I do see this as is an attempt to broaden the number of people that can get "real-time, untethered" email.

As the Pre-req's for this are X2K03 and SP2, The MSFP, and a Windows Mobile 5.0 handheld (the cell phone/wi-fi ones are around $500/pop), I don't see this having a tremendous impact on mobile computing. Can you imagine running an International Corporation, with users with mobile devices spread across several Mobile Service providers, and trying to implement this? NOT!

I think a lot of people/companies will believe the MS Marketing Hype, believe the FUD about a blackberry shutdown, and adopt it. It will then, subsequently, become a great source of income for Consultants Who Actually Know What They Are Doing, a bane and source of further alcoholism/drug abuse, high blood pressure and elevated cholestoral levels for every day admins and support people.

2006-01-23T11:25:00.000-06:00

64-bit fun

This past Thursday I was provisioning my first 64-bit X64 server. It's a lower-end HP DL145 that I am preparing for a branch office. I was excited about finally being able to get hands-on a 64-bit server, and loading up the 64-bit version of Server 2003.

This would also be the first production server that I will use that will have SATA instead of SCSI. I have always had a preference for SCSI drives, as the performance is simply unbeatable for a disk subsystem. I decided that for a small branch office file server, SCSI would be overkill, so I opted for the SATA version.

I have always had great experiences with HPAQ servers. I've always used Compaq servers, and when HP bought them, I stuck with my Proliants and have never been disappointed.

I was sort of surprised that the DL145 did not use the "normal" SMART START system that the rest of the Proliants use. I was a bit concerned about this, but, ok, I can live with that.

So, my first DL145, after having discovered that you cannot hardware mirror/duplex the SATA drives, I picked up a SATA RAID card to put in the server. On the DL145, there are 2 pci-x slots that ride on a mini riser card in the center rear of the server. I removed the riser card, popped out the card blank on the rear of the panel, and placed the SATA RAID card in its slot. I then replaced the riser card, and noticed a great deal of play in the riser card slots. I then booted the server to configure the RAID card. Problem was, the RAID card didn't show up, most likely due to the excess play in the riser board as it sat in its slot.

So, the next day, with the new server that replaced the one with the bad slots (I was under a time pressure to get this puppy out the door, so I exchanged it instead of repairing it), I got everything configed and loaded Server 2003, 64-bit edition.

I then got to the point where it was time to load the 64-bit drivers for the NIC and video card, and the AMD chipset and processor. Please note, 32-bit drivers are not compatible with 64-bit operating system. The HP DL145 comes with a driver disk, that includes 64-bit drivers.

Problem is, HP put them on the driver CD in a 32-bit, self extracting archive, which means that as I built the server, I couldn't extract the drivers that I needed to get the NIC to work, from the server that I was building. Which meant I had to drag my lazy ass back to my workstation to extract the drivers and then burn a CD with them, go back to the server, and finally load the drivers.

It seems to me, that if you are going to put 64-bit drivers on a driver disk, that you would compress them in a 64-bit file format. This might seem trivial on the surface, but to me it shows that someone is asleep at the switch, and not thinking about how their products are used and built. I hope that's not the case, but this is a small red flag, and I will keep a sharp look out for more.

2006-01-13T11:51:00.000-06:00

Question of the Day...
User wants me to look at a zip file they are accessing via FTP. A customer uploaded it. The customer's IT departmant verifies that they can access and open the FTP'd file correctly. My user reports that when they click on it, it reports that its corrupt. The user is using IE to access it, and is doubleclicking directly through IE from the FTP server it to unzip it. The file is 35MB, and takes 10 minutes to download.

Gee, why do you think it is corrupting??

2006-01-04T06:52:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!

To start off the New Year, among other things, I
have some users who want to buy a software product that dynamically
enhances Powerpoint presentations. Great! I am all for sexy looking
Powerpoint presentations, who isn't?

Here's the catch though:

Any Powerpoint you make with this tool will make the Powerpoint
unwatchable in Powerpoint. You will need to download and install
a 3rd party software package (proprietary viewer that requires
admin privs to install. I wonder if it needs them to run too?)
to watch the presentation.

Maybe I am all wet on this, but the FAQ from the product states:

Q: Can users play Ovation files on another machine?
A: Yes, Ovation has an Export function that allows an Ovation
enhanced presentation to be saved and moved to another
machine running Ovation or the free player available for
download on Serious Magic's website.

My initial reaction:
Great idea (make PPS' more sexy)
Piss poor execution (foist a proprietary viewer on your users)

Here is the product

2005-12-29T06:37:00.000-06:00

Platform Zealots and the Peter Principle

I work in an predominantly Microsoft environment. This is because I built the environment, and I knew as I was building it, that support resources in the future would be limited. I would be the support resource, and I would have to live with and support what I built. I like Microsoft products, and I believe that they provide a tremendous value due to the amount of features and integration they provide. Having said that, I must also add that if some other entity/company/space aliens were to come up with software that was easier to implement, manage, and use, then of course, I would consider using it. I am not a Microsoft zealot by any means, and have used or currently using linux, Novell and VMS, not mentioning the countless other software packages used as client apps. My opinion is that software and hardware are tools, and you pick a tool based upon the job that needs to be done.

That said as some background, in the course of troubleshooting my executable attachment issue (see previous post), one of my users was trying to open an executable attachment, and Outlook would not allow it, and would block the user's access to the file. When he inquired about it, I sent him the cut and pasted article right out of the Outlook help about the file attachment security. I "replied all" to the user's email, figuring that perhaps the dolt that sent him the executable, who was CC'd on the user's email to me, wasn't aware of the impropriety of sending it.

I received the following communication from a client:

[COMPANY NAME REDACTED] does not use Outlook for some of the reasons you have outlined below. We prefer more robust "non-Microsoft" products to carry process our e-mail and it is true that we also block these files. The first one I had sent was with a truncated .exe extension but you had a server problem at that time.
Since these files are encrypted to insure our HIPAA compliance, we avoid sending them with the .xls extension. You should have received the file by now but let me know if you continue experiencing any further problems.

The most common lesson I am learning in IT is that the world knows no shortage of jackasses.

"more robust 'non-Microsoft' products"?? "to carry and process e-mail?" Hold on, now. If I encrypt a file, and create a self-extracting archive out of it, and then rename the file extension from "exe" to "xls", does that suddenly, automagically unencrypt the file and make it an Excel spreadsheet? "does not use Outlook for some of the reasons you have outlined below" - the reasons I outlined, where the security features in Outlook that block access to potentially dangerous file attachments. What a clown. On top of that, "server problem"???? Those are fighting words! There were no server problems, just iD10T user problems!!!!

This from a CTO/CIO. Would you hire this man to manage (or should I say, PROCESS?) your IT? Clearly a bigotted zealot from deduced from the "more robust 'non-Microsoft' " line. Does an e-mail client really "process" e-mail? Or is it used to "access" e-mail? How do you conclude that there are more "robust" e-mail client applications? If I loaded one Eudora/Thunderbird/Outlook/Groupwise/Notes Client on a bunch of PC's, what makes someone make the inane declaration that one is more ROBUST? Is the Notes Client more robust because it is a system hog that takes forever to load? I could see saying one is more robust if any of the above software would spontaneously close, lock up or otherwise flake out, and your pet email client didn't. Then you could say more robust.

And why on earth would you purposefully ALWAYS exclude software from the world's largest software company???

Do you think he regularly patches all his desktop client apps with the latest and greatest security patches????? I DOUBT IT! I will admit, I am and have always been a patch freak. Even in my Novell days, I always patched to latest and greatest. You know, there are reasons software companies release patches, and therefore you should patch. If you don't patch because the patch would break your app, then you have a broken app. Additonally to the broken app, you also get a free vector for an exploit/script kiddie/virus. Always patch. Always.

Are you ready for the cherry on top?

He doesn't allow executables as inbound file attachments in his company.

2005-12-28T07:39:00.000-06:00

An Observation on Security

Recently I discovered that I had misconfigured my e-mail gateway/spam filter and that the wildcard expression I used to block executables as attachments to inbound e-mail was invalid. The result was that files attached as executables were being let in. Not a good thing, but not dramatically bad. As soon as I discovered this, I fixed it.

I also disallow executables, among a long list of other file types, as attachments to outbound email. To me, disallowing executables as an e-mail attachment is standard practice (at least since the late mid-1990's). Doesn't everybody block them?

So I get a call from a user who regularly gets an encrypted, self-extracting archive which happens to be an executable file, and my "fixing" of the problem now means that he can no longer receive this file as an email attachment. This file, by the way, originates at a major national bank. Apparently, the user is too stupid to create an encrypted archive that is not self-extracting.

Now, here is my question. With all the compliance regs that banks and financial institiutions are forced to adhere to, and all the money these guys spend on IT "security", this bank still allows executables as file attachments. What the hell are they thinking?

What is the point of that policy? I know for certain that if I were send an e-mail to a user at this bank with an executable as a file attachment, it would get rejected, or would undergo "hygene" and have the attachment stripped out. And that is as it should be. But why should their users be able to "shit" on my network, and send out executables??? I find it irresponsible.

The bank, btw, rhymes with "Hell's Cargo". I think I have a friend and former co-worker who works at their corporate. I think I'll call him and give him hell. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

2005-12-16T09:45:00.000-06:00

On the Blackberry 8700c

I just retired my Blackberry 6280 today and replaced it with the spiffy new Blackberry 8700c. In case you are wondering, the "c" stands for "Cingular". Blackberry appends an operator code to their models (for example, "t" stands for T-Mobile, "v" for vodaphone, "r" for Rogers, "i" for Nextel, etc). I carry a Blackberry in additon to my personal phone.

I am one of those people who like to upgrade their cellphone every year (or sometimes, less). Personally, I am waiting for RIMM to settle their NTP suit so I can get a NOKIA with the Blackberry Client on it. Presently, Nokia has phones with Blackberry capability, but due to the NTP lawsuit, they will not sell them in the US. Of course, that is what E-bay is for, so you can get a grey market phone.

As I have had, at this point, the 8700c for all of 2 hours, I can give you my initial impressions:

The display screen is great! It is the first thing you notice when you turn on the unit. The display is bright and clear, and very sharp! I am used to the monochrome screens of the 6280 and the 7200 series, after all, who really needs a color display to read text emails, contacts and calendar appointments? With the 8700 series, have the options of selecting different themes and backgrounds. However, the great part about it is that, as I understand it, RIMM is going to add JPEG conversion support to BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server- the product that "runs" the Blackberries.) which will enable the opening and viewing of images on the handheld (gee, I can't wait for that, with my users downloading porn on their handhelds. Well, I guess better on the Blackberry then on their PC's, eh?). I also am under the impression that RIMM is going to add the ability to convert audio files to BES, so that you can listen to WAV voicemails (that is the intent) on your handheld. This functionality is not yet implemented on the current version of BES.

The form factor of the 8700c is a bit smaller then the 6280 and 7200 series. The size of the 6280 never seemed to bother me much, but smaller is better in some respects, and the smaller form factor does not in this case mean a smaller display. I will have to get out and use this pig a bit before I can say if the smaller size makes much of a difference. The form factor of the keys are also changed from the 6200/7200 series, and they are raised higher and are less rounded and more of a squarish shape. The keys are higher profile, and you can certainly notice that they are raised from the casing more then in previous models. The case does not appear as rugged as the older traditional handhelds, but I need to stress this is just an observation. I beat the heck out of my mobile devices, and it's just a matter of time before I discover how rugged this design is.

Additionally, the 8700 has support for

MP3 and polyphonic ringtones
MMS messaging
bluetooth
quad band 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS
EDGE
Speakerphone

Yes! EDGE support! No more painfully slow internet on the Blackberry! In case you don't know what EDGE is, it is a protocol that allows for better/faster/larger data transfer to your Blackberry or other mobile phone. It is a good thing to have, and it's about time RIMM got on the EDGE bandwagon.

Quad-band means that this phone is suitable for international travel, and you will have a higher likelyhood of it working overseas than a phone that is not quad-band. If you are a road warrior, you want to have quad-band. Even if you do not travel internationally, a quad-band phone can allow you to have better reception in certain areas.

A lot of people like the bluetooth support, but I am ambivilant about bluetooth for headsets on mobiles. Most bluetooth headsets that I have seen or used are just plain ugly, and I really don't want to have to bother with another device that routinely needs to be charged, as well as having the clutter of another charger lying around on my desk. I'll take a wired earpiece any day over a bluetooth one (well, at least until the day I find a bluetooth headset that doesn't make you look like the freakin' Terminator, and has a standby/talk time of weeks, and doesn't use its own charger- USB maybe?).

On the other hand, the speakerphone is a feature I can't live without. I always carry a Nokia as my personal phone, and for me, the speaker phone feature is a must. Three cheers for RIMM adding a speakerphone!

OK, this is quite a rambling review. So what's the bottom line? You've got your quad-band, your bluetooth, EDGE support, speakerphone and your nice and shiney color display. Pile that on top of what a Blackberry does (real-time e-mail synchronization, calendering, contact list etc etc.) and it is pretty darn spiffy. However, if given a choice, I would probably want something along the lines of a Siemens SK65. Or even better yet, I would want my Nokia 6680 to have the Blackberry capability.

2005-12-16T08:43:00.000-06:00

On Users

So there I was, slaying IT dragons and trying to keep all the green lights green and I get a call from a user. He wants me to come up and take a look at something that he wants to use at work. Now, this user is a sort of prima donna. Actually, where I work there are a lot of prima donna type users. But this user wants to bring in "a superior technology" then what we are presently using as the corporate standard PC. He wants to bring his consumer-grade P O S SONY VAIO (oh, it's sooo cute, it's PURPLE! IT MUST BE A GOOD PC then!) and use it on MY network. Well, to make a long story short, I will let the following do the talking:

From: (SENDER NAME REDACTED)
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2004 4:00 PMTo: (RECIPIENT NAME REDACTED)
Cc: (SENDER NAME REDACTED)
Subject: (MY NAME REDACTED)Please guide me here.
(MY NAME REDACTED):
Your responses to me, both your voicemail and email were, as usual,unprofessional and indicative of your lack of commitment and dedication to providing excellent information technology to maximize the efficiency and productivity of the (COMPANY NAME REDACTED) Organization. In particular I would like you to know that I consider my integrity to be very important and I do not ever knowingly say things that are untrue or otherwise "breach" my word. I resent your accusation and deny it entirely. Regarding the new computer. I have a great deal of experience as a consultant working with many companies in many industries and also have a functional knowledge of information systems. In many cases, clients not only permitted, but encouraged us to hook our laptops onto their networks to ease the integration of our work with theirs. This sort of hosting of computers is routine and common. More importantly, I have had experience with myriad information technology professionals and the good ones, in contrast to you, are problem solvers.They look for creative ways to resolve issues. In my experience, you take precisely the opposite approach. You work very hard to find a way to say no and then do so in a pompous and infuriating manner hoping to intimidate people with your limited knowledge of information technology. This case is just one example. Upon hearing the request, your first reaction was to launch into a tirade and spout a flury of (many nonsensical)reasons to say no. You did this before asking a single probative questionto see whether there might be a way to help me, and, potentially, the (COMPANY NAME REDACTED)Organization. For example, you don't even know what kind of computer it isthat I am hoping to hook up. You don't know what it is running; you don'tknow whether it might be something that could be in improvement that we could work together to beta test for the organization. All you knew when you reacted was that you had an opportunity to flex your authority and you leapt at that opportunity with gusto. "You wanna be on my network; you gotta play by my rules" is just one of the high handed remarks that you left for me on my voicemail. A better approach would have been to look for asolution. For example, if the issue is ownership, perhaps the solution isfor (COMPANY NAME REDACTED) to lease the computer from me; or buy it outright. However it isc lear to me from your pattern of behavior that you are not interested infinding solutions, you are only interested in self-aggrandizement while youare in the office and finding way to get out of the office as soon aspossible every day. But this is just one example of your incompetance and lack of dedication. . As I mentioned before I resent your assault on my integrity and am seriously offended by it, particularly since I have witnessed a number of occasions where it is you who have played fast and loose with the truth. Your email contains yet another such example. You say that you made an exception for my Sony laptop. This is simply not true. My Sony laptop has been connected to this network since before you were hired as a junior assistant to (NAME OF FORMER COWORKER WHO WAS FIRED REDACTED). It has remained on this network, not because you gave your permission, but rather because (COMPANY NAME REDACTED)(sensibly) declined the offer to spend money to replace a computerthat was working just fine. In addition, I have largely maintained the computer myself in order to help the organization as much as possible. You may recall that you were offered the opportunity to purchase a new computer for me from your budget but declined the opportunity as, apparantly, the risk to the network wasn't so great as to merit an expenditure of cash from your budget. (MY NAME REDACTED), your manner is abbrasive and your skills are limited.Please resign and let this organization go forward without your unfortunate contributions. (SENDER NAME REDACTED)

WAAAAAAAAAH!!! WAAAAAAAAAH!!! Some people clearly don't like it when you tell them they just can't drag any PC off the street and throw it on the network. Actually, in this case, I think he just didn't like it that I told him no. It amazes me (well, not really) that people think because they can walk into Best Buy and fill a shopping cart up with with "cool" stuff like Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/name a trendy technology that they can set up a reliable, scaleable computing environment.

2005-12-16T07:14:00.000-06:00

I'll be posting some stuff that I have lying around. This is a classic, that not only applies to IT, but to business in general. I can't remember where I originally found this (somewhere on the 'net), but it is absolutely priceless. Enjoy!

2005-12-15T20:34:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my blog. Who am I and why am I blogging, and why do you care?

Firstly, I have been working in Information Technology (aka I.T./IT/IS etc etc) for almost 10 years, primarily focusing on system administration, network design and support. I build and support the communication systems that run businesses, and have spent time working in businesses from as small as 100 users, to large trans-national corporations with over 5,000 users. I've been an FTE (Full Time Employee), as well as a consultant and contractor. I've been around the block, and I can pull out miracles, bullet proof designs, and uptime where most meet with certain failure.

In this blog, I hope to provide an insight into the lunacy I see everyday in my profession. Everyone has heard the stories of the users who can't plug in their PC's, and it is my intent to convey some of those stories. I've been doing this long enough that when I hear stories like that, I find it hard to laugh - it hurts my head. I will now blog about it providing me an outlet to vent, and hopefully provide everyone some laughs and some understanding about what those IT people do.