(This originally appeared on THWACK.com) I was a sucker for Windows CE (or WinCE, as we mobile enthusiasts called it). I spent hours with my WinCE devices. I owned 3 of them (1 purchased on ebay long after the sun had set on that tragically short-lived OS). I sang their praises. I showed them off…
Category: IT Philosophy
ICYMI: What “Old” Network Engineers Need to Remember
(This article originally appeared on THWACK.com) Not long ago, I read “Five Things Old Programmers Should Remember” by Gary Wisniewski. In it, Gary recounts watching Star Trek one evening and how something the late, great Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock said to James T. Kirk in response to the good captain’s lamenting about getting too…
Why I care about Women in Monitoring (and IT)
(originally posted Feb 10, 2015) (image credit Josh Rossi ) I started a thread on Twitter asking Who are some awesome women in monitoring? One of the common reactions (privately and respectfully, I’m happy to say) has been asking me why I started the discussion in the first place. I thought that question deserved a…
MovieBob and Magneto
(Inspired by the article: “Magneto was Right” which has subsequently been taken down, but the video is here) I really liked the character of Magneto in X-Men 1 and 2. The character had a point and a purpose and an inner consistency. He wasn’t “evil” any more than most of us are, he simply framed things…
LINK: Do what you love
And thanks to Doug at http://www.asknice.com for pointing it out. http://www.paulgraham.com/love.html How to Do What You Love January 2006 To do something well you have to like it. That idea is not exactly novel. We’ve got it down to four words: “Do what you love.” But it’s not enough just to tell people that. Doing…
The difference
Between going through the motions, and actually wanting to succeed. http://thisisindexed.com/2011/02/denial-vs-progress/
Don’t Tell Me “It’s Complicated”
HT to my hero and writing inspiration Seth Godin. His post here got me started, and his style is something I have wanted to emulate for years now. Please don’t tell me that it – monitoring – is complicated. Don’t tell me you’re a snowflake – unique in your need for 1200 alert rules. Don’t…
Colored Perceptions
I will freely admit up-front that I know little, if anything about businesses, startups or even management – except for the kinds of work environments and management styles I prefer to be an employee of/in/for. Having said that, Bob Lewis’ recent article on the Phoenix principal (http://www.weblog.keepthejointrunning.com/wordpress/?p=2972) reminded me of Crayola. In my mind, when…
Showing Your Scars
One summer I was hired to help build scenery for a local summer stock theater venue. The problem is that I had been trained as an electrician, so every task in the wood shop required that I learn new skills on-the-fly. Because this was a job not a class and I was expected to know…
Net Use: It’s Geek-Speak for “I Love You”
This year, SolarWinds started publishing a video series called “Geek Memories”, where the Head Geeks and other IT Professionals share flashbacks from their past, moments which defined or exemplified their geekiness and showcased a lesson that we who have made our careers in technology can relate to. One particular memory of mind appeared recently, and…