A gentle warning to young or up-and-coming IT professionals: keep your professional identity a secret!
A gentle warning to young or up-and-coming IT professionals: keep your professional identity a secret! Guard your privacy like a superhero, because before you can say "what do you mean reboot?", you'll be the neighborhood troubleshooter, constantly on call to save the day.…
Article comments
76 - Noel
Great post… very insightful.
I’m an electronics tech from way back and moved directly into computers as they became more prevalent. I’ve made the mistake of fixing every computer problem for everyone that asked, for free. Then I realized that replacing a broken furnace gas valve for a family with no money in the middle of winter is something you should do for free, not computer work.
Yeah, maybe for family but not for friends or friends of friends. $50 just to crack open the box, $25 an hour and a minimum of 1 hour billable. I usually know what the problem is within the first 10 minutes; can have the fix ready to go if they decide they want to pay for it.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s not a bad idea to know the most prevalent operating system IN THE WORLD, how to fix it, and how to diagnose the inherent hardware problems that go along with it. But if that’s not your bag then it’s ok to say “I don’t know”
77 - JTH
I went thru this as a Mac tech for a split-platform ad agency. The accountants would frequently ask me how to get their Windows boxes to print (or *work*, or whatever), and I felt no guilt whatsoever in saying, "I couldn't possibly know."
So that sense, I know exactly how you feel. "Computer expert" wouldn't even be theoretically possible anymore, no one could possibly know it all. (Though some might be better at faking it.)
78 - Kim
'blogabout' ?? Please don't. The world of blogging has reached its number of buzz words.
79 - dan
normaly a programmer is a comp guy, becuase to program well you must know how a computer works.
80 - Thayne
I got so tired of friends, family, friends of friends and friends of family calling me to come fix their stupid computers that I just started farking them up even more. The calls have just about all stopped :)
81 - Blah
As if having everyone move to Linux would fix this? You'd have ten times the number of complaints, unsupported hardware incidents and mass confusion. My mom can't run Linux; she can run Windows. You may be a l33t hax0r, but most people want simple plug and play... which means Mac or Microsoft.
82 - Victor Plenty
No, "simple plug and play" only means Mac. (I use Windows myself, but have never been fooled by Microsoft claiming there was anything simple about their operating systems.)
83 - Ivan Minic
You are a geek :)
84 - subpixel
I started writing a comment, but it ended up longer than the original article!.. so put it in my own space. I'm a complete blog newbie, so not sure how to get this ping/trackback stuff working.
My response,"And even if you were a computer guy...", is at:myspace
Cheers. :o)
85 - le which
This is extremely funny...I fall right into this category...It's good to know I'm not alone.
86 - subpixel
Due to technical problems (ie me being a complete flunkie), my response moved -
Sorry about that, Chief!
PS: I can't find any help/faq on the BC site explaining how to format links in comments (if it is at all possible) or how to link/ping the posts. Is this something internal to BC only? -G.
87 - Mark Saleski
interesting response subpixel.
nice to know that there are others out there who realize that being a programmer doesn't necessarily mean that you know (or even need to know) all about the innards of the machine itself.
88 - Joe
if your a programmer and dont know shit about computers then you probably pretty much suck. Any programmer out there should have knowledge about many different operating systems and/or how do do various computer related tasks, such as deal with a printer or copier, etc. Unless you went to some shitty ass 2 yr school or someshit then you should be very computer literate. I dunno where you guys went to school but you are lame if you dont know shit about computers.
89 - JELIEL³
Oh Joe (yer probably a troll but here goes anyway), you obviously haven't experienced just how vast the IT field is and that no one person can carry all it's knowledge. If that were possible, tier 1 techs wouldn't need to brainstorm on a daily basis to solve issues and wouldn't have a need for 2nd tier techs. Some folks know more of one aspect than others and vice versa. Say POINTER and my brain shutsdown. Say Subnetting and I start dancing around.
Asking a IT specialist to know it all, is excatly like asking a Doctor of anthropolgy to cure cancer.
90 - joelsmith
The Computer Temper's Creed
In a cold, frigid room
In the dark hours of the evening
I met a fellow temp'er,
we were both too tired to speak.
He looked about nocturnal while
I thumbed my badge-'External'...
Then the old man looked prophetic
and he opened up his beak.
He said, "Son, I've left a wife,
and worked a hundred places.
I even pulled six figures once.
---Paid half in gas high-price.....
But I'm tired of all this gamin'
and dodging all the Blamin'.
Spot me $4 bucks for a Pepsi,
and I'll give you some advice."
SO I dropped out two cold bottles
and he drank down his last swallows.
He said, "They call me Babbles....."
his sweat-ringed shirt, too tight..
Then the room got deathly quiet
and his face lost all expression..........
He said "if you're going to survive in 'info-T'
you got to learn to live the fight"
"Those interviews are death chairs 'cause there's
10,000 kinds of softwares.
You'll never fit the bill they want
Even if you were Bill Gates.
But don't let you go bummin'
'Cause the Indians are comin'
and the immigrants are right behind
So babble........... Stuff.......... and Fake!"
".....You've got to know when to Load 'em,
And know where to Code 'em.....
Know how to talk your way
and know when to run......."
"You never count your hours,
sitting at those meeting tables
ther'll be time enough for counting
when the job cuts come."
"....Every temper' knows
that the secret to survivin'
Is knowing who's ass to kiss
and not knowing, how to lie...."
"Them real employees may build castles
but you grin and take those hassles...
They may wear jeans, and call in sick
but you always wear a tie."
"....Now everythings made in China
And your health care is Angina
Bush has blown Retirement
And the pensions are all fleeced.
....."But if we stick together
we just might beat the 'Whether'
and one day find a permanent job.......
or move to the Far East..........."
And when he finished speaking
He turned back toward his MSWindows(R)
Crushed out his cigarette
and began to bluff CodeSweep.
And sometime in the darkness
Babbles' hours broke even
our hero earned his unemployment
and threw his resume on the heap.
I came in that next morning
and found a pile of boxes
Linux, SCO and IBM
and "Learn to Code in C....."
And in that mess he left behind
I figured out my timeline
but in his final words, I found
I smiled, cause I could see
You've got to know when to Load 'em.
And know when to Code 'em.....
Know how to talk away
and know when to run.
You never count your hours
cause the job is never stable.
But you know you're not the only one
who claims that they they know Sun...
91 - Mike
Nice, made me laugh. I'm a programmer and a fairly good "computer guy" -- that's pretty much incidental to spending umpteen hours a day on one. I do get questions that I don't know the answer to, though.
My response is usually, "If you'll buy me a copy of MS Office, I will gladly learn it and explain it to you."
Nobody's taken me up yet :(
92 - Jet in Columbus
A friend sent me this a few years ago that I thought you might get a laugh from...
Dr. Seuss Explains Why Computers Sometimes Crash...
If a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port,
and the bus is interrupted at a very last resort,
and the access of the memory makes your floppy disk abort,
then the socket packet pocket has an error to report.
If your cursor finds a menu item followed by a dash,
and the double-clicking icon puts your window in the trash,
and your data is corrupted cause the index doesn't hash,
then your situation's hopeless and your system's gonna crash!!
If the label on the cable on the table at your house,
says the network is connected to the button on your mouse,
but your packets want to tunnel to another protocol,
that's repeatedly rejected by the printer down the hall,
and your screen is all distorted by the side effects of gauss,
so your icons in the window are as wavy as a souse;
then you may as well reboot, and go out with a bang,
'cuz sure as I'm a poet, the sucker's gonna hang!
When the copy of your floppy's getting sloppy in the disk,
and the macro code instructions cause unnecessary risk,
then you'll have to flash the memory and you'll want to RAM your ROM.
Quickly turn off the computer and be sure to tell your Mom!
93 - Christopher Rose
"if a packet hits a pocket on a socket on a port"
Why does that sound smutty coming from you?
;-)
lol (alt laff to mwuahaa)
94 - Jet in Columbus
Because you have a dirty mind you sexy thing!
95 - Jet in Columbus
I would've thought you'd point out "then you'll have to flash the memory and you'll want to RAM your ROM."
96 - Christopher Rose
lol, I think I prefer the first one - must be because I'm so darn hetero!
97 - Jet in Columbus
No need to remind me Chrissy, did you think I though Chrisopher Rose was a drag name for Christopher Robin?
98 - Prizrak
I can so relate to that. I have people ask me the dumbest questions ever about Windows. Hell the other day I was asked about a problem with a Dell Jukebox. I'm also a Linux guy, programmer and a tennis fan :)
99 - Uncle Jeff
I wrote that (Dr Suess on PCs)! It was wayyy back [wooh!] around 1996, I still have the png file. I like the original although it was not so family friendly. There was also a bad powerpoint 'movie' that went with it, about my life in the computer dept at the State of Illinois, called "Oh the Things you Can't Do!"
100 - joelsmith
Hey, what happend to your movie link, uncle jeff?? I was going to download
101 - Uncle Jeff
And here's the button I wore to my State job interview (part of that Dr Seuss on the workplace series).
Oh wait, I never got an interview. I guess you need to have one of those 'green stars'.......
102 - Uncle Jeff
Garrr!!! we apparently have a moderator with an overzealous delete key.
Well, this is the new America, I better get used to it...............
103 - Christopher Rose
Actually, Uncle Jeff, what we have is a
Blogcritics Comments Policy which requires active links.
If you look before you leap, you will see that I put yours in the little box marked "url" for you, although you could have put it properly formatted into your comment.
If you, or anybody else for that matter, does not yet know how to make a link in a comment active, that most fundamental of lessons can be found at htmlcodetutorial.com or many other sites.
So actually it's the new internet you need to get used to. Welcome!
104 - sixs
U.J.,
Are you the same guy who wrote "Uncle Jeff's ROM Video Arcade" with the 1000 Useless games? This stuff reminds me of it. 'Mindless violeence, just like you remembered....' lol
The Godfather scene was pretty good. "Never forget the eighties. Ever..."
105 - pfard
actually the legend of Babbles was quite sad. I think I cried.
we should all hug a temporary worker!
106 - Marbella
Install them linux !!
;-)
107 - Eamon
Where else can we find out information about techies that murder people?
108 - James the Student
Great Post! Over a year since your last comment but I still think there's time for more. I am student studying for a Masters in Computer Science, concentrating on Java programming and I have every illiti-tech under the sun coming to me for adive about thier windows problems, and Im a mac user! I'll be directing every one of them to this blog from now on!
109 - sean
I've retreated to answering computer questions with "just format" since it seems the people i know have problems with viruses(yay for windows) and end up multiplying whatever was removed in just a few hours...
110 - noel
CCU-550 EV-DO USB MODEM. CAN IT WORK WITH VISTA 64bit AMD.?
Hi Guys. I know that there are a lot of smart ppl out there, so i hope that some1 can help me get around this problem. I just got a hp laptop and I am unable to get the software for the CCU-550 EV-DO USB MODEM. I tried the official website to get infor but they only have infor for vista 32bit. I then proceeded to download the software for vista 32bit to see if it would work on the vista 64bit but it didnt work. When I start up the program it opened but it did not work. My friend told me to look for drivers online and include it in the drivers folder in the software for the vista 32bit that I had downloaded. Could some1 plz help... I really need it to work.
111 - alexandra
Yeah I'm off to PlanetBucks too ;=}
Brian great piece, absolutely hilarious! Totally reminds me of Uri on ShowbizzleDotCom! hahaha, Love it!
112 - martin quaicoe
please,I wanted to offer computer programming but I cant afford the fee can you help me but I have done a computer engineering here in Ghana