Nine Traits of the Veteran Network Admin

snydeq writes "Born or made, network admins share certain defining characteristics. Deep End's Paul Venezia offers nine: 'I hope that this insight into the extremely logical, yet consistently dangerous world of the network admin has shed some light on how we work and how we think. I don't expect it to curtail the repeated claims of the network being down, but maybe it's a start. In fact, if you're reading this and you are not a network admin, perhaps you should find the closest one and buy him or her a cup of coffee. They could probably use it.'"

Will read later

[Anonymous Coward]

The network is down.

The spice of life

[cold fjord]

For many reasons there are few things add excitement to life like working with someone who habitually answers the phone with, "I didn't do it."

Obligatory xkcd

[vikingpower]

devotion to duty [xkcd.com]

This is great!

[Anonymous Coward]

I just bought an MCSE or MSCE or whatever you call it and I was wondering how the fuck I could fool people into believing I actually knew what the fuck I was doing.

Problem solved!

Thanks a lot, InfoWorld!

Captcha: "secured"

Re:Will read later

[Razgorov Prikazka]

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

The BOFH knows the real traits of seasoned admins

[dkleinsc]

1. A complete disdain or hatred of lusers.
2. A collection of blackmail materials.
3. Homicidal rage.

Re:Obligatory xkcd

[L4t3r4lu5]

Holy fucking balls, you're such a moron! That's SYSTEMS! You know, the guys that make sure that the monkeys who think knowing PowerShell makes you some kind of IT god? NOTHING. They are FILTH.

We're talking about Networks. Systems can do NOTHING without my massaging of the thinwire, caressing of the switch configuration. Systems are USELESS, DUMB without us. Systems is the heart of the network? Well, Networks is the vascular system. What is the heart without the blood vessels? Just another lump of useless meat.

Excuse me for a moment. Latency just jumped three orders of magnitude on the fiber trunk to another building. I can hear the packets screaming already...

I'll save you. I'll save you all.

Re:Will read later

[Anonymous Coward]

Call to Admin: "Network is slower today than usual". Network Admin to caller: The weather is hot today, bits expand and it's harder for them to squeeze through thin wires.

Re:Trait #10 is certainly not

[cold fjord]

Good administrators keep humility under control. Too much of it corrodes the equipment. There are sensors for it you know.