IT Prose for IT Pros

Hello Fellow IT Pros,

 

Since this is my first posting for TMCnet (News - Alert), I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to tell you a bit about myself and where I hope to take this new column.

 

I began my lengthy career as a writer where I worked in advertising and publishing for several years before getting bitten by the technology bug.

 

I bought my first computer way back in the late 80s. An IBM (News - Alert) clone, it was called a Blue Chip (hands up, anyone who remembers those). That then state-of-the-art machine was powered by a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 processor, sported 512KB of memory, and included both a 5.25" floppy drive and a 20MB hard drive. The PC came with a monochrome monitor, but I soon upgraded to a color VGA display.

 

Initially, that computer served as a glorified word processor, saving me from pecking away on a manual typewriter. But I soon discovered that PC was much more.

 

Like many early PC users, I learned DOS from the ground floor up, at first because I had to, but then because it was fun. I loved that ability to manage the computer using obscure commands that no one else understood. I studied those DOS manuals page by page and experimented with each command to see what would happen.

 

I got my first job in IT in the mid-90s, working in user support at a large, international company. Managing a network of hundreds of users was challenging at times, especially since the network had been loosely cobbled together and was prone to downtime. I logged quite a few hours crawling around the floor of the server room trying to find that one bad cable that needed to be patched.

 
But I enjoyed the job and found it very rewarding – the ability to help people with their computer problems, the mystery of facing a technical issue, and the satisfaction at finding the right solution.

 

As I grew with the company, I took on interesting new roles – creating and deploying software packages, running classes to teach users the latest programs, setting up global IT projects. Of course, the challenges didn't go away. There were the late nights struggling to get an Oracle (News - Alert) database server back online, the hours spent fixing a software deployment that SMS didn't deploy right. But, as in many situations, it was the problems that I learned from the most.

 

Now, today, I juggle a variety of different jobs – writer, Web developer, trainer, consultant. But, my career in IT always stays with me. Plus, as a writer for publications like TechNet Magazine and Windows IT Pro (News - Alert), I'm able to stay on top of the latest developments in the IT world.

 

I think it's an exciting time to be in IT with an army of new Microsoft (News - Alert) programs and other products on the way. And new trends like cloud computing and virtualization definitely keep IT pros on their toes.

 

With this new columnm, "IT Prose," I'd like to share my knowledge and experience with other IT pros out there. How do you support your organization? How do you find the best tools for your users? What technologies can help you better do your own job?

 

I'll be writing about common issues and problems and try to offer some ideas and solutions along the way. I welcome your suggestions as well. Stayed tuned!