Diary of a Network Geek

What search terms get the best results?

My site is fairly well optimized for Google on the terms “CNE Resume“. It’s mainly what I do. My primary area of expertise is Novell Netware and I am a Certified Novell Engineer. But, that’s not all I do. I know a little Linux and, of course, the never escapable WindowsNT and Windows2000. I even have a little experience with WindowsXP, though it’s just the client side. So, while it makes sense that my resume is optimized for Novell products, I’d like to reposition myself to be more of a generalist Network Engineer.
Right now, I show up on the first page of a Google search for “network engineer resume houston“, but not for “network engineer resume“. I suppose I should be happy. After all, I don’t plan on leaving Houston anytime soon, but it just isn’t good enough for me. I need to be on that first page for “network engineer resume”. So, I’m going to work at it. I managed to get that top spot for “CNE Resume”, so I ought to be able to get it for “network engineer resume”, too!

Well, I guess I’m right on topic this week….

On Sunday, I questioned how long Novell, and Netware, was going to last. Well, it seems that with BrainShare, Novell’s user conference, this week, Computerworld was asking the same questions. They ran two articles: NetWare community insists their NOS will live and NetWare Stalwarts Remain Loyal Despite Dwindling Market Share. So, it seems that I’m pretty much in the mainstream of Novell Netware enthusiasts. But, like a lot of other Network Engineers, I’m looking toward other solutions, like Linux, for instance. Well, guess what? So is Novell! According to this article, also at Computerworld, Novell adopts Linux as NetWare migration path! I guess Linux, and the Linux+ certification, really isn’t a bad thing for me to do at all! (On a side note, this story got a mention on Slashdot, a news website for geeks. The posting is here.)

I guess I really have been in this business long enough to see the writing on the wall. Go figure.

This is a test of a command line message sent to the auto-poster! Frankly, it’s just a little cumbersome, but it does work. And, if they start monitoring web usage at work, it may be the only way I can post during the day without getting into trouble. Besides, it’s pretty cool.

[ Posted by mail via mail2mt.pl ]

In my “other life”, I write poetry.

I do more than network PC’s together with Netware and Windows2000. I have a life. Sure, it’s a sad, geeky life, but still, I do have one. In my other life, I write poetry and fiction. Though, I have to admit, I spend a lot more time being a Network Engineer than I do being a poet.

In any case, I finally got a bit of fiction up on my other website and thought I’d throw a link to it here. Enjoy!

A “Hacker’s Diet“?

Well, why not? It’s actually an interesting e-book written by John Walker, founder of Autodesk, Inc. He approaches weight loss as an engineering problem, as opposed to a moral, physical, or other kind of problem. He really does take a scientific approach to input and output and how that applies to the human body and weight. Besides, the title alone might just get some over-weight hackers to do something about their weight! Sometimes, it takes a wakeup call.
My personal wakeup call was a picture of my gut hanging over my belt. It was a candid shot of me while we were looking at our new house, before we bought it. Thankfully, that was more than 40 pounds ago and now I feel much better. A little less intake, a bunch more output in the way of exercise and some conscious effort was all it took. Well, that and ignoring the grumbles of an empty stomach. Oh, being out of work for most of a year and short of cash helped some, too. It’s amazing what a little fear will do toward curtailing conspicuous consumption!!

Well, it’s new to Linux, anyway.

Opera Software announced on the 11th, that they have a a beta version of their browser for Linux! Now, that’s pretty cool because they once said that they wouldn’t do that. Or, at least that they didn’t plan to do that. I think the fact that yet another company is designing Internet software for the client side of Linux is a great sign. It really validates my choice of focusing on a Linux+ certification.

The world is changing and so is IT. I really think Linux is the next big thing for the desktop, still. It’s just taking longer than we’d anticipated.

Is Novell dying?

I’ve heard a lot of people say that Novell and Netware are on the way out. Of course, I’ve been hearing that since 1995 and they’re still around, so there’s no telling. But, I have to admit, this last time I was out of work it sure took a long time to find a job. Sure, the economy is hurting, especially in Houston, but I’m a CNE with ten years experience. I’ve been a supervisor for several years, though I’m not supervising anyone at the moment. And, still, even with that, and all the other varied experience on my resume, it still took a year to find a job.
So, how is Novell doing? Look at the charts. Not a great picture, is it? But, compare them to Sun, for instance. Now, it doesn’t seem quite as bad, does it? And, I’d say that Sun is an “up and comer” still, or again, depending on your point of view. In any case, Sun doesn’t seem like they’re going away any time soon, and I’d say Novell has kept pace with them, at least. So, how much danger is Novell really in?
They’re advertising everywhere at the moment, including Yahoo, TechTV, Slashdot and the SciFi Channel. And, I know that it’s registered with me, but I’m already a Novell Geek.
They continue to win awards. But, then, Microsoft’s popularity never had anything to do with awards. Windows is a pretty ubiquitous OS, but it’s fairly buggy and insecure, no matter what Microsoft says about their “security initiatives”. And, of course, history is littered with “better” products that never made it very far. Like the Tucker, for instance.

In any case, I’m not comfortable keeping all my eggs in one certification basket anymore. So, I’m studying for my Linux+ cert and next I’ll work on Security+, then my CCNA. Wish me luck!

Right now, I’m reading Zohar: The Book of Splendor: Basic Readings from the Kabbalah edited by Gershom Scholem.

It’s a relatively short book, actually, but fairly challenging. It looks at the Kabbalah in brief and tantalizing detail. As a non-Jew, it’s an interesting look at the more hidden meanings behind Jewish scripture. Though, to be honest, I think there are many Jews who don’t know much about the Kabbalah, much the same way many Christians don’t know much about the Book of Revelations.
The allegorical meanings of seemingly simple verses open whole new worlds of thought for me. The explanation of the creation story in mythic terms reveals whole new vistas of meaning and nuance. It has effected me in a profound and deep way. New spiritual possibilities have been opened to me. I don’t normally get into that kind of personal stuff on this site, but it’s really made me think about some things.

These are troublesome days, I think. The economy is in doubt. There is war and violence in the world which, no matter how justifiable, is always a little frightening. My life is in a constant state of flux and doubt. So, where do I turn for help in sorting things out? Toward a spiritual source of comfort. And, these days, I don’t limit myself to the Bible. So, I’m reading a book on the Kabbalah and, sometimes, I go to 365 Zen : Daily Readings to find inspiration. Sometimes, I just sit by our ponds and try to listen for whatever voice may come out of the vastness of the Universe to help me.

In any case, my point is that I’m trying to enrich my spiritual life so that the rest of my life doesn’t seem as frightening and doubtful. So far, it’s helped.