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System Administrator Appreciation Day

jcookeman writes "Today is System Administrator Appreciation Day: 'a special day, once a year, to acknowledge the worthiness and appreciation of the person occupying the role, especially as it is often this person who really keeps the wheels of your company turning.' Congratulations to all who keep the electrons of our global networks flowing properly!"

48 of 446 comments (clear)

  1. Congrats! by xintegerx · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now, get back to work, Michael! Yes, YOU!

    1. Re:Congrats! by The-Bus · · Score: 2, Funny

      Happy Sys Admin day Ravesh!

      How was last night's cricket game?

      --

      Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.

    2. Re:Congrats! by bladesjester · · Score: 3, Funny

      In other words, you *did* have a happy sysadmin's day.

      --
      Everything I need to know I learned by killing smart people and eating their brains.
  2. Are you kidding me? by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Funny

    Developers and SysAdmins are mortal enemies! What's with this "Appreciation" stuff?

    (I kid, I kid!)

    1. Re:Are you kidding me? by thhamm · · Score: 5, Funny

      Damn. I do both. Now i know where this death wish comes from!

    2. Re:Are you kidding me? by Xiaran · · Score: 2, Funny

      Were would they be without us developers to mess up their environments. Theyd just sit around doing nuthin all day cept for the occasional security patch or upgrade. Salaries would plumite, the sysadmin sector would become devoid of fat, bearded, long haired hippies droning on about their bash scripts :)

    3. Re:Are you kidding me? by RealityMogul · · Score: 1, Funny

      No problem Nate, I'm working on keeping that problem from happening in the future. Last time I had to restore your system, I installed a package to take screen captures every 10 seconds and save them to an MPEG file. Next time you call me with a problem, I'll just look through the video file to see what you were doing for the previous 24 hours.

    4. Re:Are you kidding me? by Mick+Ohrberg · · Score: 3, Funny
      Ever hear of grep?

      Old sysadmin wisdom: Never GREP a BISON by the INODE.

      --

      Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

    5. Re:Are you kidding me? by throbbingbrain.com · · Score: 4, Funny
      For example - our developer decided to change the schema on our MySQL master database. This in turn broke replication on one of the slaves and made my day a living hell. I'm still thinking about a fitting punishment.

      1. Make sure the developer doesn't have root/admin on his workstation.

      2. Randomly block ports on the network and call it a security precaution.

      3. Generate and openly discuss reports on web usage.

      4. Put a 14" 60Hz monitor on every desk.

      5. Require an act of the CEO to get a RAM upgrade.

      6. Expire passwords after every login.

      etc...

    6. Re:Are you kidding me? by Metasquares · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, they get mad when you do that.

  3. Where's my present? by ProfaneBaby · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, really,internet goes down today if there's not something on my desk by noon.

    --
    Video Phone Blogs send video messages straight to the web.
    1. Re:Where's my present? by velocidisc · · Score: 5, Funny

      Pulp Administrator, With apologies to QT and SLJ

      Do you read assembly language, Brad? There's a few lines of Code I've got memorized

      EBIDIC 9D5:

      "The path of the Network Administrator is beset upon all sides by the inequities of the ignorant hacker and the tyranny of jackass users.
      Blessed is he who, in the name of file retention and network security, shepherds the newbie through the darkness of the Internet.
      For he is truly his users administrator and the finder of lost files.
      And I will strike down upon keys with great vengance and furious deletion those who would attempt to poison and destroy my network.
      And you will know I am root when I lay my lockout upon thee."

      I been typin' that shit for years.
      And if you read it, it meant your ass.
      I never really gave much thought about what it meant 'till just now.
      I just thought it was just some cold-blooded shit to IM to user before I locked his ass out of the network.
      But I saw some shit this mornin' made me think twice.

      Now I'm thinkin', it could mean you're the jackass user.
      And I'm the Administrator.
      And Mr. PalmPilot here, he's the shepherd protecting my Administrator account in the darkness of the Internet.
      Or it could be, you're the Administrator, and I'm the shepherd, and it's the Internet that's an ignorant jackass.
      I'd like that.
      But that shit ain't the truth.
      The truth is...
      (he levels the PalmPilot and speaks deliberately)
      You're the weak
      And I am the tyranny of jackass users.
      But I'm tryin' Brad, I'm tryin' real hard, to be a shepherd.

      --
      Uva Uvam Vivendo Varia Fit
  4. Happy SAD day by kevin_conaway · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wish everyone a Happy SAD day. Watch the confusion spread across their faces..

  5. Blocked! by mpatmcg · · Score: 5, Funny

    Our sysadmin(s) blocked the site! They must not want to be appriciated.

    --
    We will keep re-defining success until we are sucessful.
    1. Re:Blocked! by dtfinch · · Score: 3, Funny

      I have our squid proxy set up to block me specifically from reaching slashdot except during break times.

  6. And by the way.. by m93 · · Score: 5, Funny

    next Friday is Hawaiian shirt day, so if you want, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans.

    1. Re:And by the way.. by Marvin_OScribbley · · Score: 2, Funny

      I live in Hawaii you insensitive clod!

      --
      I'm not a journalist, but I play one on slashdot
  7. Mmhm. And I'm the Pope. by Aeron65432 · · Score: 2, Funny
    For such a group of elite sysadmins, the sysadminday website is surprisingly....bad.

    Looks kinda like my younger sisters Geocities site.

  8. No appreciation from me.... by mac123 · · Score: 2, Funny

    They get no appreciation from me until they fix my @#^%$ automatic cupholder!

  9. Happy S-A-D to me! by Amoeba · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now where are the hookers and beer? Bring me your finest meats and cheeses or I shall be forced to pipe all email through a jive translator.

    --
    Do not taunt Happy-Fun Ball
    1. Re:Happy S-A-D to me! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Oh Stewardess, I speak jive.

  10. Re:electrons don't flow by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Funny

    ThaT Is SO uNTruE. SurELY yoU'D feEL it If ThEy VibRAteD...

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  11. DUPE! by Sp00nMan · · Score: 5, Funny

    I swear, every year at the end of July we get the same "Sysadmin Appreciation Day" story. Can't the editors search the archives!!?!?

  12. We need another day... by zenmojodaddy · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... for the poor saps in businesses too small to have their own IT department, but who nevertheless get the honour of running round like a tit every time a company director claims the Interweb is broken... IN ADDITION to doing their regular job.

    Me, jealous? Hell yeah. Last week I had to try to recover some data from a dead machine by taking the hard drive out and sticking it in the fridge. Without having the correct size screwdriver, so I had to fudge around with my Swiss army knife and a pair of mini-pliers. (They're a bit bitey.)

    I wouldn't have minded too much but when I sent an email round asking staff not to disturb the extra-large ice-pop in the freezer, I made a reference to MacGyver and got two dozen emails back in the space of five minutes asking what the f*ck I was talking about or claiming to be too young to know what the f*ck i was talking about.

    Come on. I deserve cake too, don't I?

    1. Re:We need another day... by stratjakt · · Score: 2, Funny

      You have "gay pride day", isn't that enough?

      --
      I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
    2. Re:We need another day... by zenmojodaddy · · Score: 4, Funny

      Come here and say that. I'll give you SUCH a PINCH.

  13. Kiss My Admin Ass! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    -Michael

  14. Whoohoo, I rock! by charnov · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ok...that's as much appreciation as I gonna get. Now I have to get back to randomly switching the routers on and off.

    --
    [RIAA] says its concern is artists. That's true, in just the sense that a cattle rancher is concerned about its cattle.
  15. Re:Thats just great by r00k123 · · Score: 4, Funny
    Hey!

    I take offense to that.

  16. System Adminiistrator Day is for Gambling by Chagatai · · Score: 2, Funny
    Imagine my surprise when Websense decided in its infinite wisdom that the SAD website is a gambling site and blocked my access. Yes, thank you, Mr. System Administrator.

    --
    --Chag
  17. System Administrator Appreciation Day by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!"

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  18. ...and as a show of appreciation by Adrilla · · Score: 4, Funny

    we can slashdot the S.A.D. website to show how much we care.

    --

    "Plans are for fools! Oglethorpe, the plutonian (Aqua Teen Hunger Force)
  19. gifts by rhaig · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm suprised that the gift suggestion list doesn't have any alcoholic beverages listed.
    additions:

        Beer (good stuff, not colored water)
        Scotch (that's single malt, not something you'd mix, and older than 12years please)

    --
    "We are not tolerant people. We prefer drastically effective solutions"
  20. Re:Is This Like Secretaries' Day? by burtdub · · Score: 5, Funny

    Funny... Hallmark doesn't seem to have a card for this.

  21. Re: we need a service... by lucabrasi999 · · Score: 3, Funny
    scope creep

    AHHHHHH!!!! It's a consultant!! Bring out the water cannons!!!

  22. Blocked by our corporate filters? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Kindof ironic that the site is blocked by my company's firewall.

    They will be getting no appreciation from me today.

  23. The way it should be celebrated... by CyanDisaster · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...is by deleting the accounts of users who refuse to celebrate it.

    "Happy System Administrator Appreciation Day!"
    "Happy what?"
    "Happy System Administrator Appreciation Day..."
    "You're making that up, aren't you?"
    "No, I'm not." *deletes user's account*

    Hope be with ye,
    Cyan

  24. Warning:really offensive by Cmdr-Absurd · · Score: 2, Funny

    Secretary might profit.

  25. Re:Thats just great by mad+sQ+SA · · Score: 4, Funny
    Three weeks ago I printed up a flyer for SAAD, and taped it to my door. Not 2 hours went by and one of the owners of the company walked by and took my flyer down.

    I've been dealing with that kind of attitude towards the IT department for 3 years now.

    Two and a half weeks ago I was offered a position that gave me a 50% pay increase, a plethora of kick-ass benefits, and all at a place that does commercial IT support. Two weeks ago today I turned in my two-week notice, so that on Systems Administrator Appreciation Day, I would be having the last laugh!

  26. Sysadmins don't like flowers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    But that does bring up a great idea: send hot secretaries!

  27. I'm appreciative by ZoneGray · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm appreciative of the fact that I'm no longer a sysadmin. Does that count?

  28. The Sysadmin Price List by slapout · · Score: 5, Funny
    --
    Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
  29. Re:Thats just great by madaxe42 · · Score: 3, Funny

    or banner ad that happens to resemble a windows dialog window (just like my dad)

    Your dad resembles a dialogue box?

  30. Real sysadmins don't need appreciation... by otis+wildflower · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... If we did, we'd wouldn't be in the field.

    What we need is root, coffee and chocolate.

    And guns. BIG FUCKING GUNS!!!!

    (and money ;)

  31. That's really sad... Here is a excerpt... by Tikicult · · Score: 2, Funny

    From the "advice for employees" page. We were all laughing (along with the COO of the company)
    ________________________________________________

    Advice to employees on the proper use
    of the System Administrator's valuable time
    (In following examples, we will substitute the name "Ted" as the System Administrator)

    Make sure to save all your MP3 files on your network drive. No sense in wasting valuable space on your local drive! Plus, Ted loves browsing through 100+ GB of music files while he backs up the servers.
    Play with all the wires you can find. If you can't find enough, open something up to expose them. After you have finished, and nothing works anymore, put it all back together and call Ted. Deny that you touched anything and that it was working perfectly only five minutes ago. Ted just loves a good mystery. For added effect you can keep looking over his shoulder and ask what each wire is for.
    Never write down error messages. Just click OK, or restart your computer. Ted likes to guess what the error message was.
    When talking about your computer, use terms like "Thingy" and "Big Connector."
    If you get an EXE file in an email attachment, open it immediately. Ted likes to make sure the anti-virus software is working properly.
    When Ted says he coming right over, log out and go for coffee. It's no problem for him to remember your password.
    When you call Ted to have your computer moved, be sure to leave it buried under a year-old pile of postcards, baby pictures, stuffed animals, dried flowers, unpaid bills, bowling trophies and Popsicle sticks. Ted doesn't have a life, and he finds it deeply moving to catch a glimpse of yours.
    When Ted sends you an email marked as "Highly Important" or "Action Required", delete it at once. He's probably just testing some new-fangled email software.
    When Ted's eating lunch at his desk or in the lunchroom, walk right in, grab a few of his fries, then spill your guts and expect him to respond immediately. Ted lives to serve, and he's always ready to think about fixing computers, especially yours.
    When Ted's at the water cooler or outside taking a breath of fresh air, find him and ask him a computer question. The only reason he takes breaks at all is to ferret out all those employees who don't have email or a telephone.
    Send urgent email ALL IN UPPERCASE. The mail server picks it up and flags it as a rush delivery.
    When the photocopier doesn't work, call Ted. There's electronics in it, so it should be right up his alley.
    When you're getting a NO DIAL TONE message at your home computer, call Ted. He enjoys fixing telephone problems from remote locations. Especially on weekends.
    When something goes wrong with your home PC, dump it on Ted's chair the next morning with no name, no phone number, and no description of the problem. Ted just loves a good mystery.
    When you have Ted on the phone walking you through changing a setting on your PC, read the newspaper. Ted doesn't actually mean for you to DO anything. He just loves to hear himself talk.
    When your company offers training on an upcoming OS upgrade, don't bother to sign up. Ted will be there to hold your hand when the time comes.
    When the printer won't print, re-send the job 20 times in rapid succession. That should do the trick.
    When the printer still won't print after 20 tries, send the job to all the printers in the office. One of them is bound to work.
    Don't use online help. Online help is for wimps.
    Don't read the operator's manual. Manuals are for wussies.
    If you're taking night classes in computer science, feel free to demonstrate your fledgling expertise by updating the network drivers for you and all your co-workers. Ted will be grateful for the overtime when he has to stay until 2:30am fixing all of them.
    When Ted's fixing your computer at a quarter past one, eat your Whopper with cheese in his face. He functions better when he's slightly dizzy from hunger.
    When Ted asks you whether you've installed any new software on your computer, LIE. It's n

  32. If the admins do the job right.... by slashname3 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I always told my team that if we (the admins) do our job right, nobody knows we are here.

    Kind of a two edged sword when budget time comes around. That's why it is always good to have a network traffic generator connected to the network that can be switched on and off easily. :)

  33. From the admins... by EvilNight · · Score: 2, Funny

    We've been enjoying the day just fine. The .wav files playing back on the phone support line are just small shell scripts we wrote to respond to the predictable user questions, should you have any. If you manage to have an actual problem that the scripts can't handle they'll forward to our pagers and cell phones. No calls so far today. Hey, be thankful you have internal support to call on; you could be talking to someone with an Indian accent who doesn't even understand your keyboard layout...

    We're down at the local alehouse where they have 150 beers on tap, sampling our favorites out on the deck. It's a balmy 70'F, perfect outdoor eating weather. May I suggest starting with a pitcher of Hoegaarden, then moving on to Blue Moon, then Spaten Optimator, and finishing with a solid Beamish Oatmeal stout? (This is, of course, assuming you must return to the office today, which many of us will not.) Those of us who aren't into beer are enjoying a few fine martinis and daquiris, shooting the breeze over what backup solution to use next year or what new tech gadgets are on the market.

    If you want to show your system administrator some love, all you need do is read his emails to the company when they are sent out, and actually respond to them. That's it. That will make most of us deliriously happy, not just today, but any day.

    Tech gadgets are nice, but it's rather embarassing for you to buy them for us... we don't let our parents shop gadgets for us, and it's best you don't try either. Gift certificates are king. It's a rare geek who understands what his fellow geeks need.

    --
    Hell is being intelligent in a world full of idiots.
  34. Threat made into reality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I believe you've just replaced the Slashdot editors with a tiny bash script.