[svlug] Help me in Defining what a "Sr Linux Admin" is.

[James Sparenberg]

On Thursday 04 September 2008 22:37:25 Luke S Crawford wrote:
> Alvin Oga <alvin at mail.Linux-Consulting.com> writes:
> 
> > good list of techie stuff ...
> 
> 
> The interesting part of the discussion for me is that most places seem
> to think the Sr. SysAdmin should also be kindof a manager.  
Personally,
> I think that the 'managing people' and the 'managing technolgies' 
roles
> are often best performed by different people.  However, most 
businesses
> seem like they haven't figured out how to seperate those roles yet.  
> 
> I see most partnerships (in the technology space) consist of one 
> social/business focused individual, and one technically focused 
individual. 
> 
> I think exploiting that dynamic gives you both better technical 
decisions and
> better business decisions.  


Luke, 

   In so many ways I agree.  Most of what an Admin does is VooDoo to 
many PHB's and a lot of managers and developers see admins as "Failed 
Programers"   This last one really gets my guff.

   I fall into the Technical realm, and can do much of the 
non-technical.  (I'm really decent at logistics.  Lousy at salesmen ) I 
have so often though had to fight the "Failed Programmer" attitude.  I 
personally don't program because, I don't think that way, and I find 
programming to generally be, well, boring.  

Ask me to create a network of servers that allow remote secure access to 
encrypted data That a sales geek can run without missing a beat, I can.  
Ask me to create a gui based program that handles user changes on 100 
systems and I run screaming to kdialog and will end up spending 90% of 
my time trying to get the gui to work.  (The pam backend works real 
nice) 

Alvin mentioned doesn't have to run to Google.  Well I have to confess 
Google/Yahoo and a judicious amount of nixCraft.com  Quite often 
nixCraft is "Gee I wonder if they do it different from me?" 


As for College.  I don't see it as an essential.  Many of the best 
Admins I know (and I know some really good ones, Even some who like BSD 
*grin*) Don't have degrees and if they do it is in a totally unrelated 
area (I know a great admin who has a bachelors in Early childhood 
development so there may be a connection there.  

It was credited to Doc Searles when I heard it, that the sure sign of 
skill commoditization is degree's being offered in it.  I got into 
computers because of a stupid bouncing ball display at at PX, and I 
knew I had to have an Amiga.  Then I found out about BBS's and the 
cloud has been where I've been working ever since.   (better to have 
ones head in the clouds than in that warm dark place that follows you 
every where you go.) 

As for why educate those I leave behind.  Simple answer is that I have 
to admit that it will do more to shine a negative light on what those 
who are pushing me out  and protect my reputation in the process. 

James