What is Digg?79 Comments
- meshman, on 10/12/2007, -4/+81It may not be that your network admin is incompetent. It could be that you shovel so much crap on him/her that there's no time to breathe let alone get anything done properly. The story of my life.
- PleaseBeSerious, on 10/12/2007, -6/+58But enough time to post on Digg?
- ForlornHope, on 10/12/2007, -2/+47Yeah, a lot of this is beyond the capability of network administrators to fix.
"Hey, boss, I need to buy software that will do things you don't even understand. It's for the network, honest! Also, I need to devote some of my hours writing documentation. And I can't help you with your cup holder; I have higher priority items in the hopper.".
Good luck with that. - kethraal, on 10/12/2007, -4/+49Amen to that!!!
Me: Hey, [boss], we need to upgrade our DB server.
Boss: Why?
Me: The old one can't handle the load.
Boss: No, it should be able to.
Me: ??
Boss: I was told it'd be fine for our needs.
Me: By who?
Boss: The supplier.
Me: And he's not bias......nevermind. Just take a look at the load average.
Boss: It's under 100, what's the problem?
Me: That's not processor utilization -- that's load average.
Boss: I know. It's well under a hundred, so what's the problem?
Me (in my head): You don't really know what load average is, do you?
Me (out loud): Well, since all our servers run some unix-like OS, we measure their load in terms of.... (etc.)
I swear, someone should make a movie about us sysadmins, and the crap that incompetent managers give us. - sirket, on 10/12/2007, -4/+38Why, oh why, do people keep using network administrator to refer to server admins? The network is what your servers run on. The servers are what this article is about. When I was a Unix admin I was only too happy to call myself a system administrator. For some reason Windows admins started this trend of calling themselves network admins- maybe it made them feel more important. Just because your server runs networking protocols, does not make you a network admin. Just because you print over a network, does not make you a network admin.
Look- it's simple:
If you don't deal with OSPF/BGP/VRRP/GVRP/STP on a regular basis, then you are not a network administrator. Please understand and accept this fact. Putting network administrator on your resume just makes it impossible for companies to quickly find actual network admins. - Nougat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+26You're right about that, server admin != network admin. However, in many shops, the person who's in charge of the servers is also in charge of the switches and the router(s) and dealing with the ISP for the data link, and running external DNS, and email, and, and, and.
Conversely, network admin != server admin. Just because you know all those routing protocols doesn't mean you're qualified to manage servers.
@CorpT: What good is your IP network if there aren't servers to send packets across it? We're in a symbiotic relationship, you and I. - BoneyB, on 10/12/2007, -1/+24"Take the “I’m Superman” approach: You’re having a lot of trouble dealing with a particular problem, but you are the know-it-all. You don’t need the assistance of any resource or reference, FAQ lists, or README files -- you can do it yourself."
How many man-hours we waste at my office because of this... I don't even want to know. - SpectralSounds, on 10/12/2007, -3/+24You don't need to fix your network.
You need to fix the people using it.
25 tips on how to educate your user-base that the mouse isnt a foot-pedal and the monitor isnt touchscreen, would be more helpful. - DeepDoo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+21I am expected to be superman as an admin
Its the toughest part of the job.
I am the computer guy, why dont I know such and such obscure information off the top of my head
Sheesh.
Good list though. I try to avoid all that except the superman part, they wont let me not be superman - shockingbird, on 10/12/2007, -1/+19"Oh. And by the way, you're welcome!!!!"
- Oktober, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18As a network admin, i'd say more than a couple of those apply to me, but in my own defense, i'm doing the work of three people at this point, and it's not like I can tell my boss "Don't give me any work for the next month, I need to deploy our automated software deployment system, which is Open Source and I'm basically building from scratch"
- underthelinux, on 10/12/2007, -2/+19Did anyone find this article confusing to read? I think the author switched between things that you should do to be a terrible admin, things that you should to do be a good admin, things that you shouldn't do to be a good admin, adn things that you shouldn't do to be a terrible admin. several times. Although i could generally get to what he was saying, i was definitely annoying.
- billeth0, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16Thank you Nouqat!
I was about to say the same thing!
@sirket
I think some times people forget that there are many MANY companies, where there is no separation!
We are technically a "Mid sized" company, and we do everything, networks, servers, printers, hell anything that plugs in. Just because out network is small, doesn't mean I am not the administrator. If I am not the Network Administrator, I would love to know who is, cause we are not paying him. Just because it isn't you idea of what a "Network" is, doesn't mean it isn't a network. - lordthor, on 10/12/2007, -4/+188. People equate to problems:
If this jerkoff had to spend 9 hours a day explaining to the countless drones around HIS office that to "minimize" a program means clicking the "minus sign" in the top left, and answering alater call to explain that you ddin't trick them, they simply can't tell the difference between a "minus" and an "X", I don't think he'd see so fit to judge me. -.- - cprincipe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14I think #8 might have covered it, but "Fail to realize the people you support are the ones who enable you to get paid every week" should be on that list.
I do first level support and I don't care if the person I'm dealing with is a dolt when it comes to PC's - bottom line is they are not a dolt when it comes to making money for my employer, which makes sure I get a paycheck every week. - dougmc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8`Terrible network administrators will automatically assume that his predecessor was an excellent administrator, and not bother to find out if programs are up to date, if there are airtight security and password policies in place, if there are detailed records of past attacks and intrusions, and if employee access rights are controlled and monitored on a regular basis.'
No way! Terrible network administrators (and a lot of good ones too) will automatically assume that the previous network administrator was terrible, or at least that's what they'll tell management. After all, he's responsible for everything that's going wrong with the network! (and everything that's going right, well, that's the current admin's doing.)
As for doublechecking all the previous admin's work, sure the terrible admin won't do that, but that's not because he assumes that the previous admin was great -- it's because he just doesn't care. - citrusfizz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8still in boycotting the reply button?
- pcgeek101, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10This is beyond my capability to fix, because my manager constantly puts the kabosh on my recommendations for network enhancement. Sucks when you have zero redundancy 'eh?
When your manager fails to understand some basics in network structuring/design ... you start losing hope. - SuckMyDigg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I'd say that's the #1 cause of wasted time and money in the office period - not just in the IT dept.
- tobbe303, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Wow. This was just like The Register's BOFH (Bastard Operator From Hell) except that it wasn't funny at all. Try a few BOFH-articles instead, http://www.theregister.co.uk/odds/bofh/
- pilcrow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Exactly my thought... having "funny" in the description was misleading. Sarcasm without humor is pretty tedious.
- dougmc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6`22. Cleanliness is not next to godliness:'
The picture they included for this item wasn't very good. Not only can you not tell that the item is not clean, but it's not even messy. If you want to see messy wiring, check this site out --
http://www.extremefunnyhumor.com/picture.php?id=431 - SpectralSounds, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Yeah, but wouldnt you prefer to fix real technical issues instead of babysitting your userbase? I prefer solving real issues, not making the rounds everyday showing people how to correctly spell their username/pw.... again.
- sirket, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6A couple of things:
a) I never said someone who admins both servers _and_ the network wasn't a network admin. I've worked in plenty of companies like that.
b) I was a Unix admin (Solaris and *BSD) for a long time before I became a network admin. These days I keep up on my Unix but it's not my primary job and I don't pretend to be a great admin any more.
c) At no point was I trying to demean system administrators. My company requires a full time network engineer and full time syadmins. Although we try to cross train as much as possible- we all have our specialties.
That said- I stand by my original statement. If you don't work with routing and switching protocols every single day you are not a network admin. You might make small changes to the network at your company- but that doesn't qualify you as a network admin. If you can't list the advantadges and disadvantages of various routing protocols off the top of your head- you are probably not a network admin. If you don't know the different types of OSPF LSA's or how to use BGP community strings to effect the routing policy you want- then you probably aren't a network admin. Your job title should reflect what you do most of the time. Dabbling in the network while a sysadmin does not make you a Network Admin. Just because I dabble in servers does not make me a sysadmin.
If you want to be a network admin then learn as much as you possibly can and go for it. I've helped a number of sysadmins become network admins. - wvdavis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@ meshman - I feel your pain, no time to do anything....
- foshizol, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5This was a great article. These are the two things I have problems with.
1. No priority for priority: I tend to drop things and get distracted by the next shiny object.
7. Don’t Document: I don't seem to have enough time in the day to document. - WilyOne, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5To echo what sirket said, the author (Ted Martin) obviously doesn't know the difference between a network admin and a sysadmin. Lack of knowledge often indicates Management, so I'd wager Ted is a Manager at some small shop.
- kethraal, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7"Wow. That would be some baad movie."
Probably... I'd watch it though :D
And come on... Hollywood did release "Stealth"... - airquotes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4That where employee training comes in, set up a training program so a normal employee knows how to renew their IP address, change their password, create and connect to shares, etc... at least that way they dont feel completely justified asking you inane ***** all day. Some will understand it, some won't.. but that way, perhaps if they don't know, their neigbor will.. and they wont be calling you asking how to send receive in outlook, or how to clear temp files all day.
- importantname, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Did anyone else think of Office Space when they read the title to #24?
- Bandito, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6@underthelinux - agreed.
good article. interesting approach.
could easily have taken the straight approach and written the article "25 Fail-Safe Tips on How To Be a Good Network Admin" and it would have been an easier read. - twatwaffle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I curious how they can be flickr thieves when the photos are publicly and freely available on the internet...
- vuthy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Although there are things our admin does that annoy a lot of us (can't change the version of AIM I'm running, can't install Flash/Quicktime or other browser plugins w/o his permission, can't double-click my taskbar time to look at the calendar, can't stop Norton from running it's scan at 11am and slowing my computer to a crawl), I do understand why the precautions are there, and that he has to put up with A LOT.
For example, a girl here had to move her workstation.
He moved her tower, and she said "well what about my monitor? and my filing cabinet? and my pens? my chair?" Uh... okay. This is the same girl, who, when her internet went down (because she kicked out the cable), tried to send him an email saying "My internet is down."
I don't know how he restrained himself. - citrusfizz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3i think as a network admin your going to have down times.. where there is prolly stuff to do but there are such little importance that posting on digg seems like a better(read: more fun) thing to do. btw i am posting this at work where i am an IT Help Desk Tech / 2k3 AD admin
- shertzerj, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I did - I don't see why he couldn't have just said what a good administrator *should* do throughout. No need to sound intelligent or different by varying the style so much.
- CorpT, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Just because you know all those routing protocols doesn't mean you're qualified to manage servers.
Not only am I not qualified to manage servers, I would probably destroy them if anyone ever gave me rights on them. That's because I suck at Server admining. Which works well because others don't. Unfortunately, I have been in countless meetings with server admins trying to talk about the network they run. Most of the server admins I run into are not only not qualified to manage networks, they would probably destroy one if I ever gave them rights on it. And yet most of them seem to think they could manage the network just fine. - pt4117, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I kept looking up at the title, trying to figure out if they were saying to do it or not.
- DeepDoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2you mean you can be one without being the other?
Like I could just worry about the switches and routers and the Network without having to deal with why Active Directory is not co-operating with anything or anyone?
Dare to dream.... - videoCT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1this is probably not a good place to post such a link - the people it is making fun of read Digg.
- SpectralSounds, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@Crazyz
I am paid to make sure things on our network function the way they are supposed too. PCs, Printers, Copiers, Fax machines... everything. The vast majority of my "tech issues" come from users not knowing how to do their own job. I dont mind training and going over issues with the userbase. But, I shouldnt have to change or lookup passwords for people on a daily basis. I shouldnt have to be uninstalling BS programs that people install, because the higherups dont want their workstation locked down. They just love installing screensavers and weather programs and all of that other crap that bogs the system down... Then they wonder why they have so many popups while they are browsing the net (which they really arent supposed to be doing, but obviously most people do it)... Granted, I obviously browse the net at work, but I dont have to have people coming over to fix my workstation now do I.
I have plenty of other tech issues, mostly revolving around network printers that keep me plenty busy enough to not want to deal with issues I shouldnt HAVE to deal with. Its not me that is wrecking their workstations, its them. - sspirit, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2oh god, he'll be here any minute
- bernie724, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1wrong.
http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/profiles/dayInLife.asp?careerID=205 - meshman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"the point is that using reference materials SAVES time."
Oh I do that. I live on Google and Usenet. But I'll get request #1. That will take 4 hours. At hour 2, I'll get request #2. It's urgent so I drop request #1 and do #2. While I'm doing #2, request #3 comes in. It's urgent but will take 2 full days so I half ass request #2 and leap on request #3. Requests 4-10 come in while I'm doing #3. They'll take a combined period of 2 months. Meanwhile, request #1 just called and is pissed off and requet #2 found something wrong and I have to redo it.
No reference manual helps that. Then, they ask you to attend meetings for technical advice and they go like this:
Person 1: "Yes, yes, that's a great idea. Fred, (me) can we do this and how long would it take?"
Me: "Well I,...
Person 2 interrupts: "Why don't we blah blah blah?"
Repeat this about 10 times per meeting and culminating with some jackass saying 'you seem quiet today'. We had a meeting where everyone in the company was required to bring 2 ideas to the table. They asked everyone but the technical staff. They went around the table and skipped every one of us.
The company changed addresses recently. Everybody in the company has had new business cards for months. Thanks.
When clients come to visit and take a tour, everyone is introduced and says hello. But they'll waltz right past any technical office; "Here's Jane! - Oh Hi Jane! - Hi There!... Andthat'sourtechypeopleorsomething so moving on..." Not that I care to meet clients but it's the principle of the thing. Somebody actually introduced me as "and this is our Techie!". I almost slugged the bitch.
So after all that crap, yes. I'm a bitter sys admin. If not being able to complete anything at all properly and not being able to take pride in one's work makes me a bad sysadmin then I suck. I suck bad. And I frankly scarlet I don't give a damn.
I think I just digressed. Sorry about that. - bitswapper, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5I think the confusion about what a network admin is arises from the dialog boxes that windows pops up whenever it has problems connecting to anything - "Contact your Network Administrator" - which ALWAYS means the system admin running the windows file/exchange/AD boxen.
I never take jobs advertised as 'network admins' with skillsets that contain Exchange, Active Directory, Sharepoint, windows messenger, and etc. A job advert like that means that the place is run by morons with barely enough brainjuice to generate the drool that goes into their chin-cup. Let them hire you as a consultant, if at all, so you can stick to network administration. Otherwise, avoid that job at all costs, unless you are hopelessly hopelessly broke. Really, really, really broke. Oh and the jobs that say "must have ms office proficiency" and are advertised as network admin positions means they are looking for a secretary that can fix their network. Apple for that job if you really want to work helping the mentally retarded. - bernie724, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Network admins deal with BGP, OSPF and other routing protocols i.e. layer 3 some 4. This looks like stuff for a solo admin, not a system admin, system admins do not do helpdesk stuff unless it is an MS shop.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@bitswapper.
Quote" "Apple for that job if you really want to work helping the mentally retarded."
That about sums it up for you.
As for the others. Like it's been said, there are many job positions that do EVERYTHING. I am the Server Admin, Network Admin, Workstation Admin, etc. for my site, plus I, along with several others, manage the Enterprise in its entirety. We are under manned no doubt and we are constantly digging at upper management to hire on more qualified personnel.
Why do I stay? Well the job itself, the people, the travel time from home, the pay, are all EXCELLENT and I like wearing many hats. I am extremely marketable if I were to decide to leave, but that's just me. Other's probably have different opinions. - bitswapper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@crazyz 'writes':
--
Quote" "Apple for that job if you really want to work helping the mentally retarded."
That about sums it up for you.
--
How revealing that the best you can muster is a cheap ad hominem attack. Any other logical fallacies you'd like to trot out for us while you're feeling like insulting? BTW, its cool that you like wearing many hats, not cool that cheap insults are how you relate to others. - inspecality, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4It's funny, the people the author is talking about will probably just laugh at this.
- Technopundit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Just turn it off, and then back on again...
- twatwaffle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Oops I said what you said, obviously I didnt read through all the comments
thx tho - at least someone had common sense enough to point it out. -
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