Monthly Archives: September 2011

Sick of Spit, Baling Wire, Band Aids, and Duct Tape

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I apologize in advance if this seems remarkably self-indulgent.  On the other hand, it’s a personal blog–I’m allowed to vent here!

I preface this with the following statement:  I love my job!  There are good days and bad days, as there are with anyone doing anything.  But my good days far outnumber the bad ones, and even on the worst, I still enjoy what I do.  But man, things really suck right now. 

I manage and maintain a little less than 600 computers on our campus, almost single-handedly.  That any of them work at all right now is incredible.  I am professionally ashamed of the house of cards that is the foundation on which nearly everything "works" and relies.  What was once a decent, robust, and streamlined system is now showing the signs of far-too-long a period of "just-in-time" management by yours truly.  If my System were a body, it’s suffering from a multitude of paper cuts to which I keep applying band-aids.  Eventually I need to do major surgery, but I have no idea when.

I need at least a week of uninterrupted time in a dark room with headphones on, no phones, and no people.  A week might do it.  Maybe more.  But I can’t even manage to take a "vacation," so when the hell is a week’s worth of system surgery supposed to happen?  Who will keep up with the band aids in the E.R. while I’m elbows-deep in viscera?

Nobody.  That person doesn’t work here.  There is no one with nothing to do, no one with room on their plate.

And I’m exhausted.
 

Dear…:

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A confluence of craptacularity has happened to me in the last 14 hours.  I’m ready to explode and don’t know where else to direct it, so here you go.

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Dear Internet:

When reading e-mail with non-specific time-based references, PLEASE pay attention to the date/time stamp of the message!  When I write you an e-mail at 9:30 on, say, a Tuesday night and tell you that I’ve scheduled a meeting with you "tomorrow" because your calendar says you’re free, don’t read it on Wednesday morning and assume I mean Thursday.  Oh, and check your calendar more than once a week, mmkay?

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Dear Users of Technology:

Despite what the Staples chain of office products stores would have you believe, there is no "Easy Button."  Technology is complicated.  Would it kill you to even TRY to understand the stuff you are trying to use and say you need?  Or ask for help?  (And no, I do not define "help" as "just come here and make it work for me.")

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Dear Everyone On Campus:

Leaving notes that "this" is broken on the thing that is broken will NOT get it fixed!  You need to call someone and tell them it’s broken.  There are no SUNY Potsdam elves that run around checking "everything" to make sure it’s working.  I wish there were.

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Dear Road Warriors:

How about you travel with more than just a flash drive with your PowerPoint on it, hmm?  If you’re going to traverse this great State/Nation regaling the masses with whatever it is you have to share, it’s folly to assume that wherever-you-are-today will meet your tech requirements.  You should travel with, at a minimum, your own laptop AND projector.  (They make them really small these days!)  Oh, and actually knowing how to login to and navigate the basics of Windows XP, Vista, 7, and the MacOS would be a good idea too when you decide to rely on the IT resources provided by your speaking venue.

Most sincerely,
Romeyn