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Date:      Fri, 19 Mar 1999 22:45:53 -0800
From:      Joey Garcia <gummibear@mediaone.net>
To:        chat@freebsd.org
Subject:   Working in the IT Field - Trials and Tribulations
Message-ID:  <36F34421.3D08E80B@mediaone.net>

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Hey all,

Here's my IT story.

Finally, I landed a job working as a Computer Operator last year (after
a long time trying to get into the IT field) in December.  Basically,
I'm working with an AS/400 (doing print job work), maintaining PC's, and
now doing the preliminary work of installing a Network.

This place has been pretty much an IBM shop for many years.  A lot of
the company still have terminals instead of PC's.  Those that do have
PC's, access the mainframe through emulation cards.  When they need to
access the internet, they use dial-up modems to an internet account.

My Boss (the MIS manager) has been replacing some of the Terminals with
Compaq PC's purchased at Comp USA.  Compaq's running Windows 98, with 3D
speakers, games, etc.  Why?  I dunno.  They don't seem to be business
PC's to me, but I'm new so I have to just go with the flow.  We're also
moving some departments onto the new network and we're trying out
different emulation software to get the the mainframe.  (Actually, I'm
having fun doing that.)

I had a FreeBSD DNS server, pop3 server, and Web server running for
awhile but no one really took any notice of it.  The one other guy that
I'm working with is more of an NT guy.  He likes the NT and Microsoft
toys.  Well, my server went down because we ran out of network cards and
we needed another for a loaner PC. I was sad, but FreeBSD without the
Internet was boring anyways.  Although, I was interested in finding some
nuking software to nuke the Accounting NT server to prove that MS
sucks.  Either that, or some cracking software to prove to them that NT
sucks even more. hehehe J/K (I guess some might frown upon that type of
behavior on this list, but it would prove a point wouldn't it?  -- I'm
pretty sure that a teardrop attack would bring every PC there down to
it's knees. -- Could I send a teardrop attack to a broadcast IP and
cripple everyone? -- Would be interesting to try *grin*.)

Right now my biggest problem is the non-business PC's, hardware
accounting, network setup and accounting, and trying to get people not
to install software.  I wouldn't mind a heterogeneous networking
environment.  I think FreeBSD and NT could work together quite well. 
Face it, some users have a hard time with Windows 9x, imagine them
trying to figure out how to use Unix.  But, using FreeBSD as a Intranet
Web Server, or Email Server, or Firewall (maybe someday we'll get on the
Internet full time) would be really interesting.

Actually, I have no idea where I'm taking this.  I just sort of wanted
to vent.  Maybe I could get some ideas, comments, advice on how to work
with all these problems.

Sincerly,

Joey Garcia
(Troubled IT Professional) -- I think I'm considered one of those now.
*shrug*


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