tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8317310.post115751054382312013..comments2023-11-02T09:28:05.181-04:00Comments on Daily Revolution Archive: Geek Wednesday: Flash DrunkBrian Donohuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03247660397233913297noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8317310.post-1157721719163433482006-09-08T09:21:00.000-04:002006-09-08T09:21:00.000-04:00Ahhh, then you know my pain. And I thought I'd pai...Ahhh, then you know my pain. And I thought I'd paid MY dues....<BR/><BR/>Would you believe that our Accounting department uses an AS400-based system? Probably the same one you were using in 1993. You can imagine, with users that are mystified by the concept of cut-and-paste, how well that works out on any given day.<BR/><BR/>Don't even get me started.Bittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01559013235379520937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8317310.post-1157678828497716042006-09-07T21:27:00.000-04:002006-09-07T21:27:00.000-04:001993: what would be my first job in IT. Big insura...1993: what would be my first job in IT. Big insurance company with a claims dept. running IBM dumb terms in an AS/400 C/S network. Roughly 60 people in the dept., and not a one had ever touched a mouse before. They were setting up a LAN with PC workstations running OS/2 Warp (an excellent operating system, by the way, which should never have lost to the likes of NT), and needed someone there to teach these folks how to operate a PC. It was an adventure, of sorts...Brian Donohuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03247660397233913297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8317310.post-1157656919711475912006-09-07T15:21:00.000-04:002006-09-07T15:21:00.000-04:00Oh, would that I oversaw geeks...I actually overse...Oh, would that I oversaw geeks...I actually oversee the installation and management of our IT software/hardware. We actually outsource the work itself, so we don't have an in-house IT person; I translate the tech talk and make decisions on long-term plans/purchases/software changes, come up with procedures, institute projects, program, etc.<BR/><BR/>And I do a lot of hand-holding when there's a computer issue, determining whether the issue requires our IT vendor's time or if it's a matter of user...ah...inexperience. To give you an idea of the level of user sophistication: just last week, while talking someone through using an Excel spreadsheet (!), I told them to copy and paste a formula. Long pause, then, "Ummm...what's copy and paste?"<BR/><BR/>::headdesk::Bittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01559013235379520937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8317310.post-1157598807104210102006-09-06T23:13:00.000-04:002006-09-06T23:13:00.000-04:00Great links, Miss B. I'll be "recycling" them on a...Great links, Miss B. I'll be "recycling" them on a future Geek Wed. I, too, am involved in the management of geeks. The arguments that break out in meetings are fascinating to me: I would never have thought that people could become so passionate about javascript...Brian Donohuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03247660397233913297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8317310.post-1157518944568616162006-09-06T01:02:00.000-04:002006-09-06T01:02:00.000-04:00Cool Flash site:http://www.wordsatplay.com/Be sure...Cool Flash site:<BR/>http://www.wordsatplay.com/<BR/><BR/>Be sure to move your cursor around.<BR/><BR/>Computer sustainability:<BR/>look for organizations in your area like Portland's own:<BR/><BR/>http://www.freegeek.org/<BR/><BR/>Their philosophy is fabulous and they do great work for people who need it. (I oversee our IT Department at work, so I make sure every piece of hardware/software gets recycled or donated as appropriate -- FreeGeek is one of our biggest resources for donating hardware.)Bittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01559013235379520937noreply@blogger.com