Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nine Traits of the Veteran Network Admin

Posted by samzenpus on from the man-behind-the-cable-curtain dept.

snydeq writes "Born or made, network admins share certain defining characteristics. Deep End's Paul Venezia offers nine: 'I hope that this insight into the extremely logical, yet consistently dangerous world of the network admin has shed some light on how we work and how we think. I don't expect it to curtail the repeated claims of the network being down, but maybe it's a start. In fact, if you're reading this and you are not a network admin, perhaps you should find the closest one and buy him or her a cup of coffee. They could probably use it.'"

9 of 142 comments (clear)

  1. Will read later by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The network is down.

    1. Re:Will read later by Razgorov+Prikazka · · Score: 5, Funny

      Have you tried turning it off and on again?

      --
      rm -rf --no-preserve-root / ...and let /dev/null sort them out...
    2. Re:Will read later by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Call to Admin: "Network is slower today than usual". Network Admin to caller: The weather is hot today, bits expand and it's harder for them to squeeze through thin wires.

  2. The spice of life by cold+fjord · · Score: 4, Funny

    For many reasons there are few things add excitement to life like working with someone who habitually answers the phone with, "I didn't do it."

    --
    much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
  3. Obligatory xkcd by vikingpower · · Score: 4, Funny

    devotion to duty

    --
    Religous speak to God. Insane are spoken to by God. When all shut up, one can finally hear Shostakovich in peace
    1. Re:Obligatory xkcd by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Holy fucking balls, you're such a moron! That's SYSTEMS! You know, the guys that make sure that the monkeys who think knowing PowerShell makes you some kind of IT god? NOTHING. They are FILTH.

      We're talking about Networks. Systems can do NOTHING without my massaging of the thinwire, caressing of the switch configuration. Systems are USELESS, DUMB without us. Systems is the heart of the network? Well, Networks is the vascular system. What is the heart without the blood vessels? Just another lump of useless meat.

      Excuse me for a moment. Latency just jumped three orders of magnitude on the fiber trunk to another building. I can hear the packets screaming already...

      I'll save you. I'll save you all.

      --
      Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
  4. This is great! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just bought an MCSE or MSCE or whatever you call it and I was wondering how the fuck I could fool people into believing I actually knew what the fuck I was doing.

    Problem solved!

    Thanks a lot, InfoWorld!

    Captcha: "secured"

  5. The BOFH knows the real traits of seasoned admins by dkleinsc · · Score: 5, Funny

    1. A complete disdain or hatred of lusers.
    2. A collection of blackmail materials.
    3. Homicidal rage.

    --
    I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  6. Re:Trait #10 is certainly not by cold+fjord · · Score: 4, Funny

    Good administrators keep humility under control. Too much of it corrodes the equipment. There are sensors for it you know.

    --
    much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell