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71 Comments
- jonstafari, on 10/12/2007, -3/+36I'd digg this if the title/article were: Top 7 Things Companies Forget Systems Administrators Do
- Matt2k, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16I would have expected "Test your backups" to be on that list.
As someone who works with fellow IT/engineers all day long, in reference to #7 I am in total agreement. I am consistently surprised how rude we are. Even to each other. Something about the job is frustrating. Maybe it has something to do with a complicated, challenging task we once enjoyed becoming a mind numbing chore, spoiled by the unwashed heathens banging on the gate to our realm. - jonstafari, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15@gypsi
douchebags?
i dont know about that dude... during DST, my CEO came into my office ready to rip me a new ***** because our servers werent patched. turns out, she didnt read any of my DST Memos I sent, nor the "IT news" section on the intranet _she_ demanded i build. turns out, she "forgot" that i told our company that our servers and systems were patched (and tested) prior to DST.. and that was during the weekly status meetings she mandates.
and you know, i smiled and politely explained to her all the work i put into updating our servers and systems, plus everyones mobile device. i did it with a smile, with pride and just hoping someone would give me a proper "thank you" for all my work.
sysAdmins are your friends, not douchebags. - livesunkept, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14I agree with most of this list... and courtesy post... the example he used was simply unfitting. I am an IT Tech and I found at first no issues in helping fellow employees to move furniture. At the company I work for it is 95% women which is fine, however all the men reside in IT and they feel we should move everything. When we switched buildings they had us move all the furniture from the parking lot into the buliding to save money on the movers. If I had wanted to do manual labor I would of became a construction worker... It is just frustrating. Some of the women I work with are about 5 times my size... what happened to the entire equal rights movement?
- jefferyt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Truth be told, I was hoping for a little more humor in this article.
- dggeek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11"I know they are our friends, but they want to be treated like our Godfather"
No, they want to be treated like Jack, or Bill, or Steve, or whatever their real name is. Instead they are treated as "Computer guy! My thingy is broken! Don't you ever do any work? All you do is sit at that computer all day!" - jmreid, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12It's kinda like how Milo forgot to update his security protocols which led to CTU getting hacked. I think updating your security protocols should definitely be on this list.
- thatsiebguy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Agreed, now trouble tickets are the bane of my existance! :D
Having a knowledge base is very important too. I've been dumping as much as I can into a wiki at my job, mainly just so I now how I fixed or setup stuff.
I think something should be added to the list though, forgetting to rotate the root password on servers... - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13I think using issue trackers is the most important by far. It has made my work life so much easier.
If someone sends me a request by email, I paste their email into the tracker and send them a note to look for the resolution in the tracker just to reenforce the behavior. - ostracize, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9I'll play along:
2.) Sleep?
3.) Bathe? - idiggeverything, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I am also a Network Admin / Mover. ha
- techwrekfix, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8As a Sys Admin I would like to say to the writer of the story, BLOW ME!!!
- jmnugent, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I hate how they use the word "forget".
I think it would be more appropriate to say: "7 things System Administrators dont have time to do because they are vastly overworked and underappreciated." - Stonekeeper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Speaking from experience "BigSlacker" ? :D
- NoHandle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I'd like to make a nice generalized comment about how sys admins spend more time on digg than they do on actual work. But that would get me dugg down so fast I may break some record somewhere...
- nbcaffeine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5It is "equal rights" not "equal responsibilities"
Sadly, I know EXACTLY how you feel :( - Cerebral, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4One of the first things you should do if you are going to be in the computer industry is go and get quotes from local places as to how much they charge to just even "look" at a machine. Around here places charge anywhere from $70 - $100 just to diagnose the machine. that cost is usually then transferred onto the billable work and they then only pay for parts or specialized services (data transfer etc.).
I am upfront with everyone and generally do tell people that 1) It will cost you less to invest in a new machine. 2) I quote them the local costs and generally charge within that range and 3) I realize they are coming to me out of convenience not because they TRUST or BELIEVE you more than anyone else, and use that to accept MY terms on which the unit will be fixed. Just like it costs $5 for a gallon of milk at a gas station (a little overboard but you get the gist). - SpaceForRent, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Why are most sysadmins rude...
They've come to a realization that to most companies they are simply an expense. So when the sysadmin goes in to ask for a raise, they don't get it because it comes straight off the companies' bottom line.
Remember, Shareholders first.... people who administer, last.
And being an SMS-guy was way worse. The ONLY time you ever got attention was when something F*$#ed up. Good luck in your performance review when they can only remember the problems with a package you deployed. - Cory70, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4get haircuts...
- mlvassallo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4My job requirements had a small clause at the bottom. "Other duties as assigned." I believe that was put in just in case they need somebody to, oh I don't know, build my bosses desk.
:/ - briLo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5There are a few things on this list that were forgotten......
Sys Admins rarely do not tell coworkers that they're home machine does not fall under your responsibilities, and any work done to their personal machines should be adequately compensated (we in this society pay in CA$H, not beer, not favors, not a smile and thank you, easy to spend CASH!!).
Chances are your admin has a ton of things on his plate, and when you peak your head in his/her office with your personal problems you break their concentration, workflow and basically ***** up what they were working on.
Send your admin an email and say hey, stop by when you have a minute as I want to pick your brain. We all know the IT guy knows a lot, but don't interrupt them....even though it looks like their reading Digg, chances are they're remoted in somewhere and working on something so realize that they actually have work going on!!!
Work with us, we're real people that are generally highly intelligent but be curteous as god knows I don't really enjoy wearing a fake smile when I clean the latest trojan off your home computer from downloading gigs and gigs of porn!!! - solarsavior, on 10/12/2007, -0/+38. Forgetting to just let things break.
Sysadmins are never recognized by users and seldom recognized by management when things are running smoothly. The good sysadmins are on a personal crusade to be the master of the technology and insure the company has a stable foundation upon which to conduct business. It's in their nature. When they are bitter, management needs to find out why because their company's nervous system is in peril.
When things run smoothly, the company decides to cut costs by downsizing and outsourcing their jobs, rather than giving them a nice pat on the back and a thank you. Users just ignore them until they they've given up and left the company.
I'm seeing it first hand today. The only time we can get people and funding is when things fall apart. We have warned management many times of the costs of their lack of investment into their infrastructure and it is all coming to a head.
So, to all of my fellow sysadmins out there crack a big ***** smile as you help people move their furniture. Go out of your way to talk to users about things that are not IT related and let the ***** burn.
You will never win by holding up that mountain. - jstevewhite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3What's even worse than forgetting to delete the old accounts is discovering (or not doing so until too late) that many critical maintenance and functional scripts run *as the user who just left*. That *always* sucks.
- iamorangehat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Forget the haircut, I'd be happy if they just WASHED their hair.
- SpaceForRent, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4@Matt2k
And do full restores too... not just random files from the backup. - gerkin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2But do these System Admins: Forget to remember? or Remember to forget?
Big difference. For most of those points in the article I would say the latter. Some of those points would have been grounds for instant and undisputable dismissal at some of my past IT jobs. - s0ldad0, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I've been in IT for over 15 years. From sh*tkicker to Global CTO.
Lemme just put it this way, most users are not stupid, they just don't care.
They don't care about what the PC does or should do, it's a boring 'compulsary' office tool.
How do you treat your calculator? Do you pay much attention to your coffee cup? Calculator? Desk?
A lot of people treat their company car like crap, but their own car like a gem. It's the same with users.
I like to compare my users to car owners. I ask them....
"This is now the 5791th time I've shown you how to do this. Do you have this much trouble with your company car? Do you have to ring up the machanic and ask how to turn left again?"
Who cares it's because of lackluster users that a large percentage of IT people have jobs. - Matt2k, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Welcome to the real world
- RobbieF, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2#15: Pants.
- djspike, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2One thing I hate/love about my boss is that he INSISTS I write EVERYTHING down. Like when we figure out a stupid lil problem... we have to document it... but this has really helped because 6mo. down the road you may forget how to fix it. It's something as simple as a text file with the problem and simple solution instructions. Or a word document with screen shots and step by step instructions. It may seem like a hassle, but it has saved me so much time.
- binaryspiral, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Funny, #5 Forgetting the Risks of Flash Memory Drives
Many Sysadmins know the risks of removable media, they just can't do much about it without 3rd party software. - dhulk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Take a shower?
*ducks* - srosebush, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I just forwarded this to the rest of my department. It may click in some people's heads.
- Cerebral, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hell where I work even the men give me strange looks when they move offices and I only show up to give some "face time" and find out if all IT functions are working and not there to help them move boxes.
- DiggFight, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Some of these tips are pretty good, but often times the problem isn't forgetting, it's just being lazy or not having enough time to do it.
- nesman89, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Amazingly enough as a write this I am remotely administering a Desktop not to mention restoring an "accidentally deleted folder. go figure.
- rhettnyedotorg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1
*geese*
*runs* - quazywabbit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1yes we are a society of cash but what kind of beer are we talking about. If its everyday swill then yes pay me in cash, but if it is some really good trappist Ale then I might take the beer instead.
- zoom1928, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1> Remember to forget
That's the truth. When you, like the programmers, are expected to work 12+ hours a day, 7 days a week as a normal requirement of the job then you have to specifically not do things you're asked to do or you'll never get to go home to sleep. - webvivre, on 01/15/2008, -0/+0I thought about it for a minute - still pants
- portos12, on 01/15/2008, -0/+0Maybe they are 7 thing or maybe 10, no matter. Serious approach is what counts.
- BigSlacker, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4Forgetting to stop surfing the web and do something useful?
- DanElHombre, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@7. Forgetting Courtesy
I'm not here to say please, I'm here to tell you what to do and if self-preservation is an instinct you possess you'd better fukcing do it and do it quick! I'm here to help, if my help not appreciated then lotsa luck, gentlemen. - bahamutxd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0heck, that's what I'm doing now!
- Matt2k, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Didn't forget. Cut into WoW time. g2g
- snakeair, on 01/16/2008, -0/+0The big thing for me is the knowledge base information or a FAQ. I have one written down on paper for my boss, but haven't given it to him yet. And he has forgot about it. I don't know if he made his own up without me looking at it. The communication sometimes is poor between employee and boss.
That's the key right now, communicate with boss and rest of the staff a lot. Get idea's from one another and use the best one that will benefit user's and company in a whole. (Now time for me to make some coffee) - livesunkept, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1:: nods :: I guess if I ever want to get in on the moving business I got credentials :)
- alvedaro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0slightly off topic ...
@jerryn or any of my fellow diggers here!
Any chance of sharing that script? I've looking for such a thing for a while...
how can I be notified if someone is trying to connect to my box through ssh, ftp? or any attempt to access any port ( 25, 2049, 3306, you name it! )
which log files should I watch/parse?
I want to do this on some Debian/CentOS boxen.
Thanks in advance! - borco1954, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0Hi alvedaro,
there are many tools from which to chose, one that is worth considering is SNORT (both Windows and Linux) and it is an opensource IDS tool. You can find it and others at http://www.mycert.org.my/resource/ids.htm#snort. I say this because for many small to medium size businesses the funds are usually not available to afford a full blown commercial product. But SNORT is a very good tool used by many security minded IT professionals.
With all the talk about what system administrators fail to do, the biggest one is
"That they fail to provide real security for the networks they administer". You can't provide security for a network when you don't know HOW or WHAT to secure! -
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