Re: RE: present day admin skills

[Drew <simonis () myself com>]

Frederick M Avolio wrote:
> I remember years ago when a system administrator in my spare time for a
> large computer vendor. We had a UUCP hookup to the world and it wasn't
> working. The "assistant" spare time administrator did not have any idea
> what steps to go through to decide -- was it a telephone problem? Was it a
> serial cable problem? Was it a problem with the DH-11? Was it a problem on
> the other computer? Etc.  Have things improved? Too many people going
> through university without learning basic problem solving skills? (I can
> just look for the "cheats, hints, and walk-throughs" on the Internet.)  Or
> am I just in "old codger" mode?

I disagree.  Finding resources on the Internet is one of the best
skills, and often overlooked.  I don't know how many times have I 
been asked a question, the answer to which I didn't know but did 
find quickly on the Internet.  I'm amazed by how many people never 
even bother to try to do any research. I think to use a "walk through"
you have to at least understand the what you need help with.  Most 
people, IMHO, can't even isolate a problem, let alone troubleshoot it.

Personally, I got my start in the Helpdesk world, from first level
live call rep to technical team lead.  I learned troubleshooting in 
a nutshell, but was able to use those concepts to diagnose more 
detailed problems. I think the crux of the problem is that, with the
IT crush of the 90s, people were hired based on potential or supposed
talent.  Hell, thats how I moved from Helpdesk to Security!  But with
so many people, they never had to "cut their teeth" as it were, and 
they never built a strong technical foundation.
_______________________________________________
firewall-wizards mailing list
firewall-wizards () nfr com
http://list.nfr.com/mailman/listinfo/firewall-wizards