Diary of a Network Geek

How's your morale today?

Well, if you're like the majority of people in IT, your morale stinks. At least, according to this article on SearchExchange.com. Of course, my morale is pretty good, but that's because I start a new job in week, but the same can't be said of many of my coworkers. As the article states, lack of incentives and rumors of outsourcing have really damaged morale. They claim that it's industry wide, but all I know about is my own little slice of reality. Unfortunately, it holds true for that little subsection of the world.
On the bright side, there are some new jobs turning up. In fact, I may get an old friend placed in my old job, so things could be worse. And, again according to the article, employers are looking for ways to remotivate their employees. I guess only time will tell if it works.
Happy Monday!

Well, at least it's a job working for the "Family"...

Okay, it's not a job with the "La Familia", aka "The Mob", in the US, but the Eastern European Mob. At least, according to this article on AustralianIT, they're hiring hackers for assorted, illegal, online scams. Primarily, they seem to be hiring programmers, but I'm sure they need support people, as well.
Among their scams are "phishing" and straight-up extortion. Holding websites and other Internet assets ransom seems to be a favorite technique.

It's a strange time for the IT marketplace. Who knows where we'll end up? I can see the resumes now "Special Security Consultant to Confidential Private Investors - May 2004 to January 2005 - Slobovia, Slobostan" God help us!

Since I've been "Googlespammed"...

I found this interesting. Apparently, if enough bloggers link to a particular website with certain words in the link, it can radically effect the way a search engine "sees" that page. This article on Wired News about John Kerry getting Googlebombed is a little old, but it sums the issue up nicely.
I guess that's what's next for me, right? This bottom-feeder that snaked my #1 Google search result is going to Googlebomb me for making his "job" harder. Oh, man, I can't wait. Oh, God, what has the web come to?

Hooray!

Well, I suppose I should wait to see if this article on AustralianIT is correct, or not, but Novell is expecting their Linux market to grow. I certainly hope so!
First, not only do I love Novell, but I love Linux, too! Okay, sure, I really dig the Netware kernel because it's stable as all get out, but Linux is, too, so it's a logical step. And, it gives Novell some more marketing leverage in shops that they might not have gotten a foothold into before! Remember, ZenWorks isn't just for Netware anymore. You can run that on Win2K and, soon, Linux as well as the Netware kernel.
And, yeah, I have to admit, I'm biased because I've been Novell certified since 1994. (Well, I've been certified since 1993, but I've been a CNE, or Certified Novell Engineer, since 1994.) Well, here's hoping it's a growing trend!

Wow, what a fast response from Google! Over the weekend, I Googled on CNE Resume to see how my rankings were doing only to find that one of the two most egregious pages were gone. Now this morning, I checked again and they both are gone!! So, I'm back at #1. Cool! Thank you, Google!

Not by me, though!

Hey, this is really just a link to an article about RSS Aggregators on WiredNews. It is a good article, though. And it sums up the different options quite nicely.
I thought I'd supply a quick link to it, though, since I know several people read my blog via RSS.

Oh, Lord, how am I going to choose, now?

Okay, so there's been this big issue with Movable Type licensing that made me think it was time to change blog systems. But, today, I get an e-mail from Movable Type that says "For personal, we actually will no longer have weblog limits. This
adjustment, due to the feedback we've had from users, will be online early
next week (the free version will be limited though)." *sigh* So, now, just when I'd decided to move to b2Evolution for my blog, I have to reconsider! See, I did a plugin for Movable Type that lets you do some custom date things and it was a lot of work. Of course, it probably won't work on the new version, but still, I should be close. And, I know this blog system fairly well. I really do like the interface better than anyone else's that I've seen. I had been waiting to pay for version 3.0 because I expected it to have spell check in it, but it doesn't, yet. And, then, there's the whole money issue. I mean, I can get a blog system for free that does seem to work just as well. At least, my wife seems to get it to work just as well...
So, now, I'm in a quandry. Stay with Movable Type, which I know, but will have to almost relearn for the new version. Or, just start learning a new system from scratch. Oh, hell, I think I'll just go see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! (But, I'm sure I'll talk about it more, later.)

is back!

Well, at least the Warehouse 23 Basement is back. And, frankly, that's all that matters. It's loads of fun, especially if you're a gamer. Or, and Indiana Jones fan, oddly enough. It's acutally based on that huge warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Who knows, you might even find the lost Ark of the Covenant!

Anyway, it's Friday, so go have fun!

Well, it's official. I've given notice, both in e-mail and on paper. My last day at Loomis will be Friday, June 25th. My first day at Oceaneering International will be July First. I'm going to have to wait a week or so before I start growing my beard back, though. Some kind of crazy insurance policy thing that might mess up my current boss if I started growing my beard before I'm almost out. Eh, whatever. I can wait a few more days to be my old self again.
And, finally, a job using all my Netware skills and my shiny, new Linux skills, too!

Yes, there's more than one down side.

And, no, I don't mean the lost domestic jobs. While this article on AustralianIT details practices in that country, I'm sure the same thing is happening here: Body-Hire Scams. Basically, IT workers from "less advantaged" countries are brought into a highly industrialized country, like Australia, with the lure of good jobs and a better life. Then, the job either ends early, or never materializes, and the victim is left to find a way to maintain their status. The truly ugly part of the scam is when the predatory company offers to keep the victim in the country, for a price. Nasty, nasty, nasty. So, watch out for shifty IT recruiters, you H1B1 visa folks! Don't get scammed!