A SysAdmin, a Fireman, or a Racing Car Driver?
Posted by Michael Francis in IT Professional, SysAdmin on 18-03-2010
Tags: IT Professional, SysAdmin
Why is it that very people set out to become a SysAdmin? Why, when asked as young boy, was SysAdmin (or ‘fix computers’ at that age) not in your list of Superman style professions that you had aspirations to become?
Working on software tools for IT professionals for over two years now I’ve met a lot of SysAdmins. You are friendly, approachable, and highly knowledgeable. You have a great sense of humour and love cables and animals inside hardware. You all appear to like Formula One motor racing.
When you fix the IT or introduce new technology that makes everyones’ lifes easier and makes your company’s revenue soar, you are respected and admired. The recent XKCD cartoon ‘Shit, we’re dealing with a SysAdmin’ portrayed you as superheroes. You all agreed as it was tweeted, re-tweeted, re-retweeted (we could go on) to the far corners of the universe and back. You *are* superheroes.
When you are walking away from Jane’s desk after fixing her computer that has been bugging her for the last 4 days, you can almost see the Superman costume bursting out from underneath the everyday t-shirt.
Reading the thread on the SysAdmin Network, Becoming a Systems Administrator Instantly, there appears to be a common theme. No-one sets out be a SysAdmin. A little bit of programming knowledge and bingo, you were soon ‘chief Geek’. Here are some of the responses:
- “I was given another book; this time about Windows XP desktop support. I wasn’t thrilled about the idea at first and balked. My mother basically pointed out that living rent free and being fed each day didn’t give me veto rights on this decision.”
- “However when I was at school, I wanted to be a pilot.”
- “I actually wrote a pretty cool text based “Wheel of Fortune” game on the old green screens! Did some more programming on Mac classics in later High School and went right into Comp Sci in college. Bought my first Win 95 based system in 1997 and, like many, started playing with Linux by some passing mention of it from a friend around 1995.”
- “My start in the IT world came from a different occupation entirely, automotive repair. Actually, it was a confluence of hobbies, and wanting a change of occupations that started my journey.”
So here is my point. Being a SysAdmin is a vital role in any organisation large and small. A role you should be proud of. You are super heroes. People should aspire to emulate you.
What do you think? How did you get to become a SysAdmin? Did you aspire to become one? Post your comments below.
I think it started for me as a 6 year old bashing away on my parent’s Intel 8088 and subsequent 286. I was taught basic DOS commands to launch the simple games I used to play. I also had free reign on the pile of broken hardware in my uncle’s IT shop at the back. I did however study as a Graphic Designer. After hating that occupation I switched over to my hobby and here I am.