Wasting Time

I have recently joined a new company, and I know there has been a few issues with trust and time wasting. But just as much of my time is wasted.by being locked off certain things. As the systems administrator, I need access to about everything. I wasted a shed load today by not being able to get hold of certain downloads because torrents are evil.
No torrents are not evil, illegal file sharing is.

Working with colleagues

Life can be stressful. Work can induce a lot of stress for people, especially when you asked to take on problems you have little control over. So regaining control is important to reducing your stress.
Communicate with your colleagues, use simple clear instructions and sentencing. Waffle and indeterminate expression may save some feelings, but it does not help. This is business get things fixed, make the time for socialization over coffee at other times.
Use sensible limestone of communications. Email is not suited to discussion. If you are giving multiple people information or instructions, but require for everyone to know what is going on, make sure each person knows the bits they are responsible for.
Never email some who sits next to you for a rant, if you have some issues. Either talk or if you are unble to talk instant message.
If you are under strain, ask for help, sensible help, make clear what you need, and thank them afterwards. Keep and amend those instructions for next time.
As an admin your job is a bunch of procedures, that hopefully you can put onto a junior. Find those procedures, get someone else to do them, then find a quiet corner to drink your coffee or play with something fun.

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Making things complex

System complexity has little to do with the nuts and bolts of an application.
Take for instance the use of the modern car. You can literally have a start/stop button, the steering wheel and the gas and brake pedals and no other control is necessary to rum the car. Gear changing, lights, wipers are all automatic in higher end cars.
So the fact there maybe 10th individual software apps underneath mean nothing to most administrators of a system. If it has a simple operation and a sensible setup then the system is not complex.
Which brings me to my second point. The last thing you need to care about with a system is wondering if you are on the right one.  A half broken system is worse than a broken one. Trying to work around "features" is so annoying I would rather not use it at all. Even worse is working around self induced issues.
Maintain what you have more than work on new systems you have, and stand on your principles if those that be tell you to do otherwise.
And thus ends today's lesson

New job again

I must be an ill contented person. I have changed jobs many many times. Is it so hard to expect to find a decent workplace these days. It is not as if I am looking for am increasing wage, I have often moved for less.
Some respect, a comfortable working environment (I.e somewhere they can keep toilet roll in stock), and a job that you actually get to do and some acknowledgment of a good job.
Now I am not talking constant reminders of what good little engineers we are, but when we pull it out the bag at the last minute, a "thank you" would be nice.
The previous place I was at, we were finally offered to be taken out as a thank-you for a real big ask of our skills. Two months later I left. No meal. Apparently still no meal talking to those left behind.

So the lesson is think of your minions, they give what you put in.

More updates to come, I commute on public transport so more time to blog.

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