1. The "red tape" ticketing systems, forms, tech support mailboxes etc allow IT to effectively triage problems and prioritize workflow. If everyone from your helpdesk is on the phone or away from their desk Joe user doesn't care that you are the wan guy and are in the middle of troubleshooting a down circuit he wants you to fix his e-mail signature now! Every IT department needs techs who enjoy jumping from issue to issue but if all of your IT people are doing that and can't spend more than 5 minutes at a time focusing on a project nothing big is every going to be accomplished
2. Funny that the author seems to think that IT is a dead end career path, he must not have been very motivated, maybe he failed his MCP exam? As much as certs get a bad rap at least you know that if you put in the effort to get one you'll know what you are worth. Making $200+/hr consulting as a CCNP does not sound too bad to me.
3. I agree that a lot of IT/sysadmin types are like cats or better yet divas. Why don't sales or marketing types act this way? Simple, it is because they are easily replacable/trainable. I used to work in sales and true, the best salespeople are brilliant but you don't need to a lot of smarts or training to be an average salesperson, you do need some analytical ability and have fairly extensive training to be an average sysadmin.
It is also a generational thing, most sysadmins are in their 20s and 30s, there aren't a lot of 40 and 50 year olds in the industry who are up on the latest IT technology. In general the younger generation places a higher value on their free time; they are not willing to work 60 hours a week and will revolt if they are asked to. Conversley in accounting, sales, even engineering the young bucks have to suck it up because the baby boomers at the company will work a 60 hour week without complaint.
Laser beams? Come on.
Just install a few.50 caliber ball turrets and let the passengers take turns picking off missiles for fun.
For each missile hit you get an extra bag of mini-pretzels!
1. "What have you done for me lately" attitude. If you complete a big server upgrade making everyone's life easier most employees offer "its about damn time" as thanks.
2. If a system performs poorly it is automatically IT's fault, no one seems to know or care that management/accounting hasn't released the funding to upgrade/replace the system.
3. Users who have little knowledge of how to operate their computers and no desire to learn, they have the IT on speed dial and aren't afraid to call. These users, even though they may be completely polite, will call with the same questions day after day. You have to duck and roll Jackie Chan style past these user's cubes on your way to the restroom because they WILL stop you to ask some inane question that you've probably answered 5 times.
4. If a trucking company hires a truck driver the driver is expected to have knowledge of how to drive his truck and troubleshoot basic problems that may arise. Is he expected to be a mechanic? No. A competent and educated operator of an expensive piece of machinery? Yes. No so for computer users.
5. Users have no idea of what goes on behind the scenes in IT nor do they care. I can't think of the last time someone thanked me for the 3 months of uptime our Exchange server has had but the sales guy down the hall who brought on a single new account gets attaboys and back slaps galore.
If someone is mistreated and kicked around enough eventually they are going to avoid contact with their tormentors, this is why IT people get a rep as antisocial hermits.
For many IT people it is almost a tough love situation with their users. If someone is having a real problem or is the type of person who is willing to learn and try to resolve things on their own they are going to have a positive relationship with IT.
Users from the #3 category above are going to have a less than positive experience. They are going to receive less then cheerful service when they call for the 5th time because a 37GB e-mail attachment won't go through or because they are at home and their laptop won't connect to the neighbor's unsecured wireless network. It is human nature to be a curt with someone like this in order to convey a sense of frustration and hopefully train the user next time to use their common sense and training.
Slashdot Mirror
1. The "red tape" ticketing systems, forms, tech support mailboxes etc allow IT to effectively triage problems and prioritize workflow. If everyone from your helpdesk is on the phone or away from their desk Joe user doesn't care that you are the wan guy and are in the middle of troubleshooting a down circuit he wants you to fix his e-mail signature now! Every IT department needs techs who enjoy jumping from issue to issue but if all of your IT people are doing that and can't spend more than 5 minutes at a time focusing on a project nothing big is every going to be accomplished
2. Funny that the author seems to think that IT is a dead end career path, he must not have been very motivated, maybe he failed his MCP exam? As much as certs get a bad rap at least you know that if you put in the effort to get one you'll know what you are worth. Making $200+/hr consulting as a CCNP does not sound too bad to me.
3. I agree that a lot of IT/sysadmin types are like cats or better yet divas. Why don't sales or marketing types act this way? Simple, it is because they are easily replacable/trainable. I used to work in sales and true, the best salespeople are brilliant but you don't need to a lot of smarts or training to be an average salesperson, you do need some analytical ability and have fairly extensive training to be an average sysadmin.
It is also a generational thing, most sysadmins are in their 20s and 30s, there aren't a lot of 40 and 50 year olds in the industry who are up on the latest IT technology. In general the younger generation places a higher value on their free time; they are not willing to work 60 hours a week and will revolt if they are asked to. Conversley in accounting, sales, even engineering the young bucks have to suck it up because the baby boomers at the company will work a 60 hour week without complaint.
Laser beams? Come on. Just install a few .50 caliber ball turrets and let the passengers take turns picking off missiles for fun.
For each missile hit you get an extra bag of mini-pretzels!
"IT people" are ornery for the following reasons:
1. "What have you done for me lately" attitude. If you complete a big server upgrade making everyone's life easier most employees offer "its about damn time" as thanks.
2. If a system performs poorly it is automatically IT's fault, no one seems to know or care that management/accounting hasn't released the funding to upgrade/replace the system.
3. Users who have little knowledge of how to operate their computers and no desire to learn, they have the IT on speed dial and aren't afraid to call. These users, even though they may be completely polite, will call with the same questions day after day. You have to duck and roll Jackie Chan style past these user's cubes on your way to the restroom because they WILL stop you to ask some inane question that you've probably answered 5 times.
4. If a trucking company hires a truck driver the driver is expected to have knowledge of how to drive his truck and troubleshoot basic problems that may arise. Is he expected to be a mechanic? No. A competent and educated operator of an expensive piece of machinery? Yes. No so for computer users.
5. Users have no idea of what goes on behind the scenes in IT nor do they care. I can't think of the last time someone thanked me for the 3 months of uptime our Exchange server has had but the sales guy down the hall who brought on a single new account gets attaboys and back slaps galore.
If someone is mistreated and kicked around enough eventually they are going to avoid contact with their tormentors, this is why IT people get a rep as antisocial hermits.
For many IT people it is almost a tough love situation with their users. If someone is having a real problem or is the type of person who is willing to learn and try to resolve things on their own they are going to have a positive relationship with IT.
Users from the #3 category above are going to have a less than positive experience. They are going to receive less then cheerful service when they call for the 5th time because a 37GB e-mail attachment won't go through or because they are at home and their laptop won't connect to the neighbor's unsecured wireless network. It is human nature to be a curt with someone like this in order to convey a sense of frustration and hopefully train the user next time to use their common sense and training.