Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2001 12:24:06 -0600 (MDT) From: ML Duke <mlduke@concentric.net> To: Ted Mittelstaedt <tedm@toybox.placo.com> Cc: freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: RE: Unix skills at work Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.10.10108031223450.706-100000@mlduke.concentric.net> In-Reply-To: <005301c11a52$3880f360$1401a8c0@tedm.placo.com>
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This is all the reply this one is worth. Duke On Tue, 31 Jul 2001, Ted Mittelstaedt wrote: > Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 23:21:38 -0700 > From: Ted Mittelstaedt <tedm@toybox.placo.com> > To: ML Duke <mlduke@concentric.net>, freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG > Subject: RE: Unix skills at work > > Boy, this guy is what Scott Adams modeled Wally on in Dilbert. > On one hand he says: > > >Ah, well... it seems like the really serious systems, they leave > >to me and don't bother me about it > > and on the other he says: > > >Philosophically, they're paying me a > >large amount of money to accomplish nothing beneficial in the long > >run. > > That's the first time I've heard administration on "the really serious > systems" called "nothing beneficial in the long run" > > I think that most likely his superiors have just thrown up their hands > and decided that here's a guy who is valuable enough to keep around > because he knows some things very, very well, but he is never going to > transcend beyond that. He wants to pigeonholed and they have indulged > him. No wonder he is working in an enterprise environment, that's the > only kind of environment that is large enough to have little cubbyholes > here and there that need people stuffed into. > > The linotype operator story is an excuse. IT administration isn't a > repetitive clerical job. All your seeing here is a guy that has a lot > of experience that could be very valuable to everyone around him if > he just made a little effort to present it well - who has turned his > back to his organization and is selfishly unwilling to share it. Talk > about deserving the chance to make the same mistakes - did he ever ask > anyone if they wanted to have that chance? > > I don't see interesting symmetry here - I just see someone who is > representative of how depressing it can be made to be if your goal is > to make it depressing. What a waste. > > Ted Mittelstaedt tedm@toybox.placo.com > Author of: The FreeBSD Corporate Networker's Guide > Book website: http://www.freebsd-corp-net-guide.com > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: owner-freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG > >[mailto:owner-freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG]On Behalf Of ML Duke > >Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 7:58 PM > >To: freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG > >Subject: Unix skills at work > > > > > >Hi all. I know a rather rather skilled Unix fella. > >Recently asked him about his work. What he said follows. > >Thought some of you might be interested in some views > >of an engineer/admin who works within the enterprise > >environment. > >--------------------------------------------------------------- > >Not much to say, really. It's work. Everyday, what weren't broken > >gets upgraded and broken. Philosophically, they're paying me a > >large amount of money to accomplish nothing beneficial in the long > >run. But I've come to understand that this is the way most of our > >educated professionals think. It is very clear, though, that > >they don't understand syllogistic logic. 'Course, I ain't been > >college educated, but I would have thought logic would be a > >prerequisite to computer science. Then again, if I had the benefit > >of an education, I might understand why it no longer applies. > > > >I am something of the problem child at (X-Company) -- I have > >trouble getting with the "program" and staying on the "same > >page." On one hand, I'm expected to think independently and be > >"pro-active." On the other, I'm tolerated and guided because I > >forget about the "vision" and cut straight to what works. They > >find that an annoyance, since it's "old-fashioned" and indicates > >a lack of innovative reasoning. > > > >In a way, though, it's worked out well. They tolerate me because > >my systems don't break and they keep me away from the visionary > >innovations because I can't get through my thick skull why they > >want broken (err... 'scuse me) innovative systems. > > > >Ah, well... it seems like the really serious systems, they leave > >to me and don't bother me about it -- and -- the pay checks have > >always cleared the bank, so far. So I would have to say that this > >is just another gig. > > > >I remember when the old linotype operators struggled with the > >"new" qwerty keyboard. Most couldn't make the transition. At the > >time, I couldn't understand why and figured it would never happen > >to me. As it turns out, it has happened to me. I won't be able or > >willing to make the transition to the new way of thinking. > >Mostly, I think, because I don't like it, don't respect it and > >have been there, done it. Still, it's their time in the sun and > >mine has passed -- they deserve the chance to repeat the same > >mistakes as I did. > > > >There is truly an interesting symmetry in all this. > > > >anonymous > > > > > > > >To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > >with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message > > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
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