I need a roll of quarters...

[Raveneye]

...so I can buy some of the folks I work with a clue.

The past 7 weeks at work I have been upgrading every PC from Windows NT to Windows 2000 (we did not go with XP because we already owned all the licences for 2000, so it was essentially "free"). Since I am the only IT guy, and I have 60+ people to support and upgrade, you can imagine it's been a little chaotic and stressful. Many of the people I work with are very understanding of this and have gone out of their way to be patient and accomodating when requesting tech support during this project, and for that I am eternally grateful. A select few have come closer than they will ever know to having their necks snapped commando style and their bodies stuffed under the conference room table.

Thanks to these fine folks, I'd like to take a moment and share some advice that might make your IT guy way less likely to go all Splinter Cell on you someday:

#1) DO NOT start asking your IT guy techincal support questions when you see him in the lunch room, at lunchtime, with his rapidly cooling lunch in his hands. Especially DO NOT ask really long winded questions that you attempt to explain in completely non-technical terms like "my thingy" and "that doodad that does the thing with the internet, you know what I'm talking about?". Hint: Even if we do in fact know what you're talking about, we're not thinking of the solution to the problem as much as we're thinking how nice it would be to pour that just brewed pot of steaming hot coffee over your head for ruining our lunch.

#2) Your IT guy IS NOT the computer equivilant of the CVS Good Samaritan Van on the highway. He's not cruising the halls looking for people to help, he's usually on his way to help someone that ACTUALLY SENT AN EMAIL OR A VOICEMAIL requesting help. Many IT professionals develop severe nervous tics later in their careers due to the constant fear that every door they pass will contain yet another user waiting to pounce on them and ask for impromptu support.

#3) If you can't load your picture of your dog as your wallpaper without asking the IT guy for help, then you do not deserve to have a picture of your dog as wallpaper. In fact, why are you even still employed here?

#4) When your IT guy is deeply involved in a complex problem on your PC, the last thing he really needs to hear about is you or a member of your family's deeply personal and highly disturbing medical issues. This is especially true right before lunch. While we may appear to be incredibly wise and intelligent because we can fix computers, we are not in fact doctors, and cannot tell you if that is an infection or not.

#5) We are also not psychiatrists. While some of us may indeed be short, fat and bald, we are not Dr. Phil. We cannot help with the issues you have with your spouse, significant others, children, parents, other assorted relatives, neighboors or co-workers. The exception to this is if you are very attractive and having relationship issues with your boyfriend, in which case please feel free to open up as I'm here for you, and yes I think he's a complete ass.


I can go on and on. I'm a patient, friendly and social kind of guy, but there are limits to what I can take. I always tell people that in IT there are no stupid questions, ask me anything. I leave it up to them to realize that while there may be no stupid questions, there are plenty of stupid times to ask me questions, and leave it up to them to act accordingly. Thanks for allowing me this opportunity to vent just a bit. :D

Please feel free to add to the list above.

[Shiz]

Sounds like your company needs more than one IT guy.

[Xaxor]

:lowlol: That's excellent! Being an IT guy myself, I have been there too many times on the lunch thing. My typical response "Please excuse me, could you send me an email on that? kkthxla~"

Having said that I am grateful for the work. I'm able to make people happy or at least relieved by fixing them up and getting them back into production. As far as migrating OS's I feel your pain RE. We went from NT4 to XP and it wasn't exactly seamless, but we had some good training folks who were able to prepare people for the sudden changes. :lowcool:

[Yuglooc]

One roll of quarters coming right up....

¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼¼

Seriously... I know the feeling. It's not unusual for me to be interrupted during lunch and/or have to work through part or all my lunch hour (and I'm not in IT).

[Asharad]

Do you want the quarters as payment, or are you going to hold them in your hand while you pummel people?

Cause I totally support that last thing.

[Caranthir]

Do you want the quarters as payment, or are you going to hold them in your hand while you pummel people?

Cause I totally support that last thing.

Bah, that's what a sock is for!

[DinbinFanfoom]

They're related to the people who stop you when you're NOT EVEN TO YOUR DESK IN THE MORNING or who stop you in the LOBBY WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR CAR KEYS IN YOUR HAND AT 5:15pm! I hate these people.

[Tulenyre]

I love the lunch people... especially when they walk into your cubicle and your eating a quizno's sub (you have it in your mouth/hands). They completely ignore you eating and go right into questions mode....

I actually told a co-worker that if she didn't get out of my cubicle I would beat her with my lunch.

[Sagar]

I actually told a co-worker that if she didn't get out of my cubicle I would beat her with my lunch.

You, Sir, have an attitude problem. :lowrazz:

I always tell people that in IT there are no stupid questions,

I usually follow this with:

"there are just stupid people."

[Biaxin]

Hey,

Not to downplay your emotions, but, rather, to show that this sort of thing happens all over the place.

I'm a nurse. People will bring their dogs to me...

[Sagar]

And you lift his tail and say "Yes, its a boy"?

[Draknor]

I'm guessing I should stop asking tech questions here on the boards, too. Lesson learned.:lowlol:

[Raveneye]

Hey,

I'm a nurse. People will bring their dogs to me...

Oh man, don't get me started on the people that seem to think a "computer guy can fix anything".

I had one receptionist at my old company bring me freaking Christmas lights that didn't work. She said, "Well, you're good with electronic stuff, I figured you could fix them."

I did, but that's not the point.

The real point is she was totally hot...
:D

[Gaulron]

Hey Does this mean IT guys are the new hair stylists and barbers that we can spill every thing too?

I am a nice guy and sometimes get involved with talking about personal issues at work. sometimes a person needs a friendly shoulder to listen on but we have one lady in particualr that cannot talk to you without crying over something that someone has done to her. Also me and my supervisor are all out to get her. Finally one night I just told my supervisor hey look she is saying this about you and I think you should know. He went and spoke with her on friendly terms buty she did wind up crying as usual ...

[attriel]

You, Sir, have an attitude problem. :lowrazz:


Actually, I don't think he has a problem with it at all :)

He just has an attitude ;o

[EricStratton]

The real point is she was totally hot...
:D
And that makes everything ok. Ya know, I think that should be the point of all stories.

[Queed]

Send a copy of that list to everyone in your company.

Along with little haikus.

/I am Jack's need to incite workplace offense

[Greebo]

Raveneye:

You can, you know, TELL people "Hey, I'm eating lunch. Ask me when I'm not." and "Hey, I'm just getting in or heading out - send me an email ok?" And then go back to what you WERE doing. :)

YOu're getting walked on cause you let them walk on you, IT guy. Exert your IT Superiority and ignore em if they don't file a request proper. :)

[Greebo]

Except for the hot chicks of course...

[Asharad]

I am gong to continue to barrage the boards with techinal questions. When someone talks about how "those people always..." I assume they mean ME. That'd just be silly.

[Xaxor]

Except for the hot chicks of course...

Reminds me of Ferris Bueller racing home at breakneck speed over fences through back yards, over girls in bikinis. Camera stays fixed, Ferris runs out of frame for an instant, sound of brakes screeching, he comes back. "Hi, I'm Ferris".
:D

[Lycos]

I'm guessing I should stop asking tech questions here on the boards, too. Lesson learned.:lowlol:

I hope you are not serious. At least with questions here on the boards, we can either help or ignore it. :D

[Raveneye]

I'm guessing I should stop asking tech questions here on the boards, too. Lesson learned.:lowlol:

NO NO, keep asking. This is exactly the place to ask such things, as I can research answers and respond on my own time and terms. I actually ENJOY that. :lowlol:

Of course, it would be better if you were a hot chick... :wink:

[Raveneye]

Raveneye:

You can, you know, TELL people "Hey, I'm eating lunch. Ask me when I'm not." and "Hey, I'm just getting in or heading out - send me an email ok?" And then go back to what you WERE doing. :)

YOu're getting walked on cause you let them walk on you, IT guy. Exert your IT Superiority and ignore em if they don't file a request proper. :)


This is true to a point. In the lunch example I can, and often do, ask people to send me an email. However, the other situations do not always lend themselves to such a resolution. My point in posting was to illustrate situations where people don't even realize they are being rude or obnoxious, and point out that IT people deserve the same courtousey and respect afforded other professionals.

Of course, all this goes right out the window is, as you point out, they are hot chicks. (sensing a theme developing...) :biggrin:

[Lycos]

Of course, all this goes right out the window is, as you point out, they are hot chicks. (sensing a theme developing...) :biggrin:

I think we can all agree that if a "HOT" member of the opposite sex asks you to do something at an inconvienent time. We'll just do it for them anyway! :D Nuff said!

[DinbinFanfoom]

I think we can all agree that if a "HOT" member of the opposite sex asks you to do something at an inconvienent time. We'll just do it for them anyway! :D Nuff said!
Ever see "Grey Owl" with Pierce Brosnan? Reminds me of the fellow on the dock...

[EricStratton]

This is true to a point. In the lunch example I can, and often do, ask people to send me an email. However, the other situations do not always lend themselves to such a resolution. My point in posting was to illustrate situations where people don't even realize they are being rude or obnoxious, and point out that IT people deserve the same courtousey and respect afforded other professionals.
I disagree w/ this in that every professional I know is treated like that. I ask questions of other PD guys at lunch. I hit up our sales guys when they are on their way out to give me info on a customer. And I get questioned the same (I got a call last night at 10pm from a west coast manager w/ a question :roll:).

I think the difference is it seems to happen to you a *whole* lot more. Which, I can imagine, would grate on anyone. Even hot chicks.

[Raveneye]

The thing about being an IT guy (or girl) is that it's a position that is unique to almost every office. No other person in the company has to be able to respond on a moments notice to every other person in the company. You could argue that a recptionist or an HR person has the same problem, but let's face it, how many "I can't do my job until you fix this!" issues do an HR person or a receptionist see on a daily basis?

IT Manager (which is what I am) is a position where you have all the worries and responsibilities of a top level executive but are treated like a rank and file. You worry constantly about the systems, strive to keep them up and running (and by association keep the business itself running), spend the time you're not doing that involved in project development and decision making that can directly effect the bottom line of the company, and all the while you're expected to also be out there in the trenches serving the greater good by fixing problems on a user by user basis (usually while they throw a fit because something isn't working right). Oh, and don't forget the nights and weekends you'll be expected to work because downtime is taboo during business hours and servers don't maintain themselves.

I love what I do. I love working with everyone in the company. I love the technical and problem solving aspects of my job. I love making people happy by giving them new tools or a new way to do something that makes them more productive. In a sick twisted way I even love the nights and weekends spent building the systems and making sure everything runs the way it's supposed to. I bring order to the chaos every day, and to me that is a big part of my job satisfaction. I'd be hard pressed to choose a profession I'd like as much as what I do now.

I just don't like when people stop treating me like a professional and start thinking of me as their personal assistant for all things electronic.

[Drax]

let's face it, how many "I can't do my job until you fix this!" issues do an HR person or a receptionist see on a daily basis?
I don't know... I've seen how quite a few folks here at work behave before they have their first cup of coffee, so I think it'd be a higher percentage than you think...:roll: :lowlol:

[Zyzzyx]

Raveneye,

How many employees and computers are there at your company? Very much sounds to me like you could make a good case for an assistant. Someone who just finished, or just started, schooling on computer networking or similar. Someone who could handle turning Caps Lock off for people when their password isn't working; someone for the 'how do I make my email look pretty?' requests. I started in a similar position three years ago. I'm still doing much of that work, but have also moved on to stuff with the servers and database programming stuff.

We're an office with about 40 folks here, and we share general tech between 2-3 of us. I wouldn't want to try it alone, including trying to manage everything else too.

[Raveneye]

Raveneye,

How many employees and computers are there at your company?

We're an office with about 40 folks here, and we share general tech between 2-3 of us. I wouldn't want to try it alone, including trying to manage everything else too.

I have 55 employees, all with a PC on their desk and a remote office about 20 miles away with 3 users. I also have 9 servers and about 20 printers (both networked and non-networked). I do all help desk support, network architecture and maintenance, purchasing, evaluation and testing, network adminstration and training.

This place has never had more than a single IT guy. Ironically, their last IT Manager had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalized and eventually went on disability (I kid you not). Up until shortly before I came on board almost two years ago, they really didn't need more than one guy because they were low tech and most of the work consisted of plain old user support. Since I arrived however I have completely redesigned and upgraded the entire network, implemented several new technologies and now completed a rollout of new OS and desktop software for the whole place. People now use their PCs twice as much as they did before I came along, so I've created my own monster.

I do need help desperately. There is no budget for it this year though, so I've put it before the Management Committee (they are my "boss") as an item to address this year for possible inclusion next year. If that does not happen, I may have to start looking elsewhere, 'cause I cannot do another year of this solo. :eek:

[Zyzzyx]

There's never the money in the budget for it. They need to realize that it will probably be less expensive to pay for a new entry level IT position, maybe even just part time, than to continue paying your overtime, and the possibility of losing you. And further benefit of freeing your time a bit to implement and improve the new stuff.

I've seen a similar progression here. When my boss and I started here (nearly the same time, he hired me), they were a bit worried that two IT guys was overkill. Since then we've expanded the overall use of computers, databases, and such. There's now four of us in IT, one guy dedicated to working on our internal database systems (for enrollments, we're a private school), one guy doing mostly website stuff, and then my boss and I are expanding into stuff we wouldn't have had time for otherwise. And overall, the management absolutely loves our department, what we've done for the business, and where we're taking it.

[Raveneye]

Overtime? I get no such benefit.

As to losing me, that may be the only thing that wakes them up, which is why I have brought the issue to their attention at this point, when I know they can't do much about it just yet. If they have time to think about the amount of work I'm doing solo, and how painfull it would be to lose someone who has just restructured every system in the firm and knows them so well, and I keep reminding them of it every so often, they may be well primed to give me some help in another few months when it's financially feasable to do so. That is my hope at least, and I'm doing everything in my power to make it happen that way. I like it here, and do not want to leave, but I will if it's a choice between the job and my own sanity.