As some of you may have guessed, My professional life is deeply entrenched in the world of computers. I bill myself as a computer guru and hire out as an I.T. consultant. I try to take it all a little further (kinda like me) and try hard to be everybody's geek. I can handle just about everything from simple desktop troubleshooting to setting up, installing and maintaining highly available networked systems.
I pretty much work alone, not because I don't work well with others, but more because I am greedy,a nd don't want to share the take with employees. That, and I find very few, that can or are willing to keep up with me. I used to have grand delusions of taking over the world, or at least the world of I.T. consulting. Truth is, I never want to work that hard. It is not that important to me, though I think my work is important, and valuable. I work soley to live, and have not slipped back into the trap of living to work. Sorry Father...
I am self made, I boast an 11th grade education, if you can call it that. Never really liked school, after I could read, write, and comprehend, it became a burden to have to do all that at the pace of others, so I spend most of my educational carrier frustrated, and looking forward to life. If I had it all to do over again, knowing what I know today, I would have dropped out sooner. And, maybe joined the Coast Guard, instead of Reagans Navy.
To have come this far, with less regrets than I have fingers, is probably a worthy accomplishment. I make good money when I need to. I try to be the guy everybody calls when everybody else has failed. I only work for small businesses, and I only work for companies that are ready to keep their systems to my standards. It is much easier that way.
Through many years in the field, I have figured on what works and what does not, and I don't coddle to those that insist on what does not. My ways are not about throwing huge sums of cash at a problem, nor are they about endless hours of agonizing planning and contemplation. I see a problem, look for an elegant solution, then implement it. My job is way more about fixing people, than about fixing systems. 9 Times out of 10, a customer already has a solution at their fingertips but they dont know how to use it. My abilities to learn systems quickly than apply my pedestrian logic to making the rubber meet the road deliver astounding results.
I.T. people have the 3rd highest suicide rate just behind Nurses, and paramedics. Everybody I deal with is traumatized by technology, and tech people. It is hard not to take all that on, and it is even harder to not become frustrated by the self imposed and perpetuated ignorance that so many I.T. users hide behind. Don't call me, and tell me that you are unwilling to assume the responsibility to learn to use your systems. That is tantamount to expecting me to make your systems work and then do all your work on them. No. I.T. does not work that way. Users have the responsibility to learn, know, and use their systems without false fear, or mental blockage.
Oh, and don't call me on a Sunday just because you don't have a life. Remember, I believe the important work of the world has very little to do with making money, or working 7 days a week, or chasing the almighty dollar. The real work of the world is putting people and life before and above all other pursuits.
Ok. enough pontification...
What I like:
Google, and almost anything google. Though I probably don't like their politics. I do like the implementations of technologies that they have come up with. I also like their vision, as it is much the same as mine. The world int he cloud, instead of on your desktop. This blog itself is built upon the Google api's The whole site took me about 10 minutes to construct whereby leaving me time, and energies to do the real work of adding content. Google rocks!
Linux, and family.
No, I do not believe in the ulturistics of open source. I do however believe the development model to be the greatest single innovation to innovation since the bar napkin. Whatever the childish idea that all software should be free, or all intellectual property should be the property of the collective would of-course destroy innovation entirely. People need to feed themselves. Even developers. Eventually mommy will kick you out of her basement and you will be forced to fend for yourselves. Than tell me that your hard typed code should be free for all.
Instead, I see software more as a service than a commodity. My bread is buttered not with the measly markups on software but with my own ability to interface the user to the software. Open source software development, when well supported by crowd sourced collaborative environs is the best way for me, the front line grunt to accomplish my goal of cost effective elegance. I charge for my time spent developing, or implementing open source software. I charge the users, not for the code itself but for the time I spend making the code better. Because I can reralize financial gain from end users, I can afford to spend the time nescessary to put the finishing touches on open source projects. Is not that the goal of open source? to develop the highest quality code and provide the absolute best solution possible? Newsflash people, I can not trade my ideals for fuel in my truck.
We have all written just about enough code to do just about anything. Integrators such as my company take it to the marketable level. We put the code together into useful systems, and make a living at it. Maybe we figure out a little piece of the puzzle and contribute it back to the community. Maybe we monetize the system and fund further private development. Either way. the collective knowledge wins.
Windows and Windoze
I used to love to trash Microsoft, not because they are an evil empire, but because they are not always the best solution, but through the magic of marketing they have become synonymous with just about everything I.T. Today, I am mature enough to accept MS for what they are, and give the customer what they need vs what I think they need. If MS has the best solution for the particular customer, than that is what that customer will get.
Currently tho, I am finding Google apps to be the best solution. (I think I already said that....)