Time to Say Thanks For the Uptime

DepecheModem writes: "MSNBC is running an article about System Administrator Appreciation Day. Ted Kekatos created this holiday three years after seeing a poster of a system administrator being bombarded with presents. Feeling somewhat underappreciated, he declared his "day" as the last Friday in July. I think we should all remind our employers that administrators are people too and proudly wear our buttons bearing "Have you hugged your geek lately?"."

Comments

What I would like on my day.

[Neck_of_the_Woods]

I would just like every developer that says "it is a server issue" to be forced to take the "perfect" code they have and submit it to a code review before he/she gets to me. That would be the best present of all. Just so I don't have to spend hours digging into it to prove it was that code, in the process fixing the error, and doing thier job. Wait! I just realized, this may be by design. I can hear my CIO now, "if you have a problem that you can't seem to fix, just upload it into production, blame the server, and force the Admin team to prove you wrong. This will narrow cast your problem, and you can work on something else while they figure it out."

Interesting.....DING!

Not really created in our honor

[Sheepdot]

I'd like and appreciate the day a LOT more if it wasn't created by a system administrator. No offense, but it doesn't seem like a genuine thank-you if the the only other people that celebrate it are other administrative staff, or if they are only celebrating it because they found the website saying that they should.

I agree

[ProfBooty]

Really, do we have a CEO appreciaton day for all their hard work? Do we have a janitor appreciation day for thanking the janitor for cleaning up after us? Do we have a dentist appreciation day for the dental work they do?

You get paid a salary to provide a service, that should be enough compensation. Heck I'm an engineer, wheres the engineer appreciation day? No thanks for all the technology which was devleloped by scientists and engineers to provide sys-admins jobs? ;)

this isn't really news-worthy, but i do find it funny.

Oh please!

[DearSlashdot]

I am really tired of hearing all these IT people whine about "I don't get no respect." How about giving respect to others first? We're quick to laugh at/demean users and lusers and AOLusers and anyone else who we feel like (ala Nick Burns), but then demand respect.

As a DBA, I don't depend upon thanks or respect or whatever. If I'm doing my job right, no one notices. As it should be. In other jobs, a lot of people work for little recognition and little money. So I'm not complaining. If you're into IT for the glory, you're going to be disappointed.

Re:That's right.

[ceejayoz]

2002-07-23 16:06:43 Hug a Geek Day (articles,announcements) (rejected)

meh :-/

Yeah, I got yer appreciation... RIGHT HERE!

[nobodyman]

The majority of sysadmins that I've worked with have been almost carbon copies of "Nick, your company's computer guy": rude, arrogant, impatient, and unresponsive. Many forget that it is their job to fix computers and feel they should be begged and groveled upon.

The sysadmin is the mechanic of the 21st century. You are not a god because you spent 3 weeks getting your a+ certification. Your one year at a tech school does not compare to the 4-year degrees of the people you serve.

Try earning your appreciation, rather than declaring your own holiday.

Re:Blah

[ThinkSpeak]

I think the reason for this "holiday" and others like Secretaries Day are to recognize members of your organization who go "beyond the call of duty."

I am sure you all have stories about incompetent sys admins but what about the gurus that get asked all sorts of questions about things that may not fit into their job descriptions.

I can't tell you how many times I get calls about things that have nothing to do with my official job (what digital camera should I buy?, How do I network more than one computer to use my home internet connection? How do I create my own web site?)

I try to provide answers and even point the user to a place where they can do some more research on it even though I could easily say "That's not my job!"

I remember...

[ChozSun]

... when I was a SysAdmin back when jobs were plentiful.

I enjoyed coming in and completely fixing the last "sysadmin's" handy work.

I enjoyed migrating all servers from Windows to Linux (funny how you can get your way when you do not have to spend thousands of dollars) while all the users can still use the os's that they are familiar with (Windows, Unix, Macintosh) and still be able share the same files and printers.

I enjoyed uptimes of months (only downtime was due to upgrading the UPS... funny you have to actually unplug the server to utilize the UPS... sheesh :).

I enjoyed rebuilding all workstations to MY SPECIFICATIONS so that I get no more than one call a day from a user having issues with whatever.

I certainly did not mind helping my fellow employees making their home computers that much better. Actually kind of flattering because they see that I can take a low-end workstation (similar specs to their home pc) and make it run for weeks without problems. I wouldn't blame them for wanting the same thing at home.

I enjoyed sharing my enthusiasm about whatever was leet going on in technology with other people and seeing them started to get interested in that same technology.

I enjoyed supporting and helping people without making them feel stupid because they asked a question about computers.

I don't care for an appreciation day. I just want to be a sysadmin again.

My Internet is broken...

[mmuskratt]

Wow,
This is a great thread. Here's the problem, for all of you people who are complaining about your sysadmin:

1) Someone who can barely type in a password of more than 3 characters hired your sysadmin.

2) That same person waffled at paying a REAL sysadmin what they were worth to your company, and in this world, you get what you pay for.

3) Because you complain about things you know nothing about (and yes, that includes developer cowboys who like to screw things up for everyone else to get what they want), you are probably going to get a little bit of that treatment in return. Try this little test: Go to a nice restaurant, without a reservation. Grab the first waiter you see by the arm (if you're lucky, the waiter will have just walked in the door), and tell them that you want to order the steak and lobster, and you needed it 2 hours ago, and it is for a big, important client (who is generating revenue, not costing your company money). You will be sitting over at that open table, which hasn't been wiped off yet, and complain to the waiter about not having wiped the table clean in preparation for your unannounced arrival. Wear a suit to make yourself look important, because, well, you are, aren't you? Then, when your steak and lobster doesn't show up in fewer than 5 minutes, call over the manager, who will then tell the waiter to do what you ask them to do. A good waiter will give you excellent service, smile, and accommodate your every whim (interruptions, you explaining to him how he should work on the steak and lobster, constant bitching about not having water, wine, bread, 4 other tables). Any other waiter will be, oh, just like YOUR sysadmin...and will treat you the way you deserve.

4) Having an MCSE doesn't mean the sysadmin your Office Manager hired will know dick about computers.

5) You probably know less than your sysadmin about computer systems. If you know more about computer systems, you should be a mentor, not a whining prick.

6) Nobody notices a good sysadmin. Shit just works. If you constantly have computer downtime at work, see #'s 1 and 2.

Oh, and my Internet is just fine, I was only kidding...how's yours?