Comments on: It doesn’t pay to be the computer guy http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/11/22/the-computer-guy/ The blog of John D. Cook Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:10:06 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Productivity and negative space — The Endeavour http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/11/22/the-computer-guy/comment-page-1/#comment-115301 Productivity and negative space — The Endeavour Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:59:03 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3770#comment-115301 [...] Negative space in operating systems It doesn’t pay to be the computer guy [...] [...] Negative space in operating systems It doesn’t pay to be the computer guy [...]

]]> By: Tim http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/11/22/the-computer-guy/comment-page-1/#comment-56612 Tim Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:55:45 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3770#comment-56612 An honest computer guy trying to service home users is in a dead end occupation. For that matter, even the very small businesses are not going to be much better. The $400 machines are THE problem for someone trying to make money at that. It's not just a good point. You simply can't put much time in a machine without having to discuss the "I should have just bought a new one" issue. Shaun is dead on on that one. I ran a consultancy for 3 years and I started out with residential support as part of my business. I learned very quickly that was a horrible idea. You leave a residence after spending WAY too much time for what you can realistically charge and they spin right around and put the crapware you just removed back on the machine...and blame you for the problem....demanding you come back or give them a refund. No thank you. I dropped residential support and told all my businesses we put file servers in their business and we re-image workstations at the first hint of trouble. I also emphasize to businesses that work machines should be work machines. Those jobs began to actually be worth the time. You made some good points though. An honest computer guy trying to service home users is in a dead end occupation. For that matter, even the very small businesses are not going to be much better.

The $400 machines are THE problem for someone trying to make money at that. It’s not just a good point. You simply can’t put much time in a machine without having to discuss the “I should have just bought a new one” issue. Shaun is dead on on that one.

I ran a consultancy for 3 years and I started out with residential support as part of my business. I learned very quickly that was a horrible idea. You leave a residence after spending WAY too much time for what you can realistically charge and they spin right around and put the crapware you just removed back on the machine…and blame you for the problem….demanding you come back or give them a refund.

No thank you. I dropped residential support and told all my businesses we put file servers in their business and we re-image workstations at the first hint of trouble. I also emphasize to businesses that work machines should be work machines.

Those jobs began to actually be worth the time.

You made some good points though.

]]> By: conrad http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/11/22/the-computer-guy/comment-page-1/#comment-52133 conrad Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:29:57 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3770#comment-52133 I would have to argue that the it guy (or contracted out service) is in fact a big invisible part of the company which can hugely benefit profits if they know their stuff. A bit like the tea lady but also starts or stops everyone's working day with a button. I would have to argue that the it guy (or contracted out service) is in fact a big invisible part of the company which can hugely benefit profits if they know their stuff. A bit like the tea lady but also starts or stops everyone’s working day with a button.

]]> By: Shaun http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/11/22/the-computer-guy/comment-page-1/#comment-27838 Shaun Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:05:20 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3770#comment-27838 Hi John. Thanks for the thoughtful synopsis and expansion of my original article. It's always surprising to me how people keep re-discovering my piece about what it's like being the "computer guy." Hi John. Thanks for the thoughtful synopsis and expansion of my original article. It’s always surprising to me how people keep re-discovering my piece about what it’s like being the “computer guy.”

]]> By: Daniel Lemire http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/11/22/the-computer-guy/comment-page-1/#comment-27749 Daniel Lemire Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:20:16 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3770#comment-27749 In some surveys, you see that older people (40 something) are leaving IT en masse. We also have fewer students in our IT programs. Finally, it has gotten somewhat harder, in my experience to recruit experienced IT people. The net lesson, here, is that IT as an industry is just not all that important. Having an IT engineer twice as good as your competitor will not help your bottom line, much. Yet, I don't entirely buy the "rapid change devalues skills". I haven't used Windows in about a decade, but I still help family members with their Windows problems. I understand the foundation. It does not matter which Operating System you use, my knowledge is transferable. Obviously, there might be, one day, a paradigm change in how Operating Systems are designed. But still, a lot of my knowledge will carry over, I'm sure. The fact that things change, a little bit each year, maybe a bit more than other industries, is not necessarily a negative. It means that there are new things to learn all the time, and it should make the job more interesting. Yes, IT people complain that they don't want to be learning new tricks, but that's probably just a sign that the IT people we get are relatively lazy, unqualified and have a poor education to begin with. The good IT people I have known don't complain about learning new technologies, they love that part of their job. In some surveys, you see that older people (40 something) are leaving IT en masse. We also have fewer students in our IT programs. Finally, it has gotten somewhat harder, in my experience to recruit experienced IT people.

The net lesson, here, is that IT as an industry is just not all that important. Having an IT engineer twice as good as your competitor will not help your bottom line, much.

Yet, I don’t entirely buy the “rapid change devalues skills”.

I haven’t used Windows in about a decade, but I still help family members with their Windows problems. I understand the foundation. It does not matter which Operating System you use, my knowledge is transferable. Obviously, there might be, one day, a paradigm change in how Operating Systems are designed. But still, a lot of my knowledge will carry over, I’m sure.

The fact that things change, a little bit each year, maybe a bit more than other industries, is not necessarily a negative. It means that there are new things to learn all the time, and it should make the job more interesting.

Yes, IT people complain that they don’t want to be learning new tricks, but that’s probably just a sign that the IT people we get are relatively lazy, unqualified and have a poor education to begin with.

The good IT people I have known don’t complain about learning new technologies, they love that part of their job.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/11/22/the-computer-guy/comment-page-1/#comment-27732 Andrew Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:11:28 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3770#comment-27732 I think the real lesson here is that it does not pay to be in support or service industries. Most IT people I know don't like to think of themselves as tradesmen or service workers... yet they are. I think the real lesson here is that it does not pay to be in support or service industries. Most IT people I know don’t like to think of themselves as tradesmen or service workers… yet they are.

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