A Conversation for System Administration
What is my job?
Keypher Started conversation May 21, 1999
I am, in part, responsible for "systems administration".
I am the "Technical Director" at an advertising agency. That is what I tell people when they ask me what I do. Sometimes, regrettably, they then ask "what does that mean?" I answer, after thinking for some time, that I don't know. I have never encountered an employer who understands what I do. They hire me so that they don't have to think about such things. All the better.
What is my job?
Caveman, Evil Unix Sysadmin, betting shop operative, and SuDoku addict (Its an odd mix, but someone has to do it) Posted May 23, 1999
That sounds about right.
One of the wonders about any job which might be percieved as a 'technical' job is
that it implies that there are non-technical people about who don't understand what
it is you do. Consequently, it's a job for life if you have a few handy buzzwords
or exzcuses handy. Actually, one of the wonders of a decent window manager with
multiple virtual screens, or scrolling screens, is that if you are facing your monitor, and
your back is to a wall, you can prepare 'work' on one screen, and non-work on
another, and flip between them with just a couple of keystrokes. The mouse is no
good for this, it's takes too long.
Anyway, working for an ad agency, you should be good at dressing up something
that someone doesn't want in a form that they think is actually helping them.
What is my job?
SMURF Posted May 28, 1999
We technical people learn through a lengthy training period that the more techno bull you can spout in a convincing manner, the higher paid you will be.
What is my job?
Caveman, Evil Unix Sysadmin, betting shop operative, and SuDoku addict (Its an odd mix, but someone has to do it) Posted May 28, 1999
... and also that the management don't want to know the truth or the details.
Details bad. Vague but positive sounding promises good.
Having upgraded one of the fileservers to Samba 2.0.3 today (on Linux 1.1.59 which didn't help)
I sold it to the MD on the basis that it works with Win2000, forgetting the detail that the
SMB password file was toast and that everyone needed to reset their passwords.
Luckily, said MD doesn't know that I decrypted his password in <1min.
What is my job?
Keypher Posted Jun 2, 1999
"Details bad..." is on the mark.
It hadn't occurred to me that I
am such a politician. Ugh!
What is my job?
SMURF Posted Jun 4, 1999
Of course, this doesn't work too well when your boss is also a techie type.
Key: Complain about this post
What is my job?
- 1: Keypher (May 21, 1999)
- 2: Caveman, Evil Unix Sysadmin, betting shop operative, and SuDoku addict (Its an odd mix, but someone has to do it) (May 23, 1999)
- 3: SMURF (May 28, 1999)
- 4: Caveman, Evil Unix Sysadmin, betting shop operative, and SuDoku addict (Its an odd mix, but someone has to do it) (May 28, 1999)
- 5: Keypher (Jun 2, 1999)
- 6: SMURF (Jun 4, 1999)
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