When the value is obvious, most companies are willing to invest in tools to help employees get their job done better. But over the course of my career, I’ve noticed a few blind spots companies can’t seem to remember when writing out their tech …
Anyone who’s worked in IT knows a great deal of the day-to-day work doesn’t come down to one secret trick—the job consists mainly of stringing together hard-won wisdom and convenient Google searches to solve problems. Working in IT is a little like parenting; when …
Experienced IT practitioners know applications and solutions—whether off-the-shelf, customized, or built from scratch—are rarely a perfect fit. Inevitably, something doesn’t work quite the way we want, scale to quite the level we need, or cost exactly what our budget approvers would prefer. However, there’s …
The theme for IT Pro Day 2020 is “You Were Built for This” and, while we knew it could be relevant in almost any minute of any day of any year, it seems exceptionally, especially apropos now. We, who make our lives and earn …
Ben Zoma said: “Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said: ‘From all who taught me have I gained understanding’ (Psalms 119:99)” Pirkei Avot (The Wisdom of Our Fathers) 4:1 This is a meditation on inclusion, inclusiveness, being open-minded, …
I’m not going to even try to pretend SysAdmin Day arrives this year under conditions anyone would call “business as usual.” I’m going to avoid the cliched and empty platitudes of “the new normal,” “unprecedented times,” and “focusing on what matters.” I’m also going …
Building relationships is no easy feat. It’s been my experience that it’s common for people (especially, but not exclusively, men) to connect with each other through activity-based friendships—you might have a friend named Bob, for example, with whom you’ve played golf every Thursday afternoon …
To the companies who’ve practiced remote work for years or are solely online, congrats! You’re probably thriving in this environment. But as IT practitioners we need to acknowledge, while remote work has been a breeze for some, it’s been a challenge for others in …
We’ve officially made it past day 100 in quarantine. I hope you’ve found your groove, perfected your at-home office/workspace, learned a new language, tested six new bread recipes, and launched a successful TikTok channel. I also hope your pants still fit and you remember …
Collecting knowledge is a large part of everyday conversations. Contributing knowledge to a conversation keeps it going and allows individuals to learn new information, debate their current knowledge, and even change their opinions on certain topics. In the IT world, the distribution of new …
