Working as an independent I.T. consultant puts me in a unique position. I work for many different businesses and individuals on a contract as well as non-contract basis. Each situation I encounter is different, but some share very common attributes (especially when it comes to data).

When it comes to an apparent crisis, I empathize with my customers. I somehow find it necessary to subconsciously share the fear they project to me as if I were literally in their shoes. Maybe this is because deep down, fear is a motivator. It definitely doesn’t help when I am blamed for the crisis in hand just because I am the ‘hired hands’ for their network. It also doesn’t help when broad claims are made such as, “I haven’t touched anything since you were here” or, “It didn’t work right since you left”. Why have I found 5 new software programs installed since I was there last? Where was my phone call when it first happened? Why did you wait 3 weeks to call me to let me know, now so completely irate and frustrated? Why is your lack of communication now somehow my emergency? Why am I the one you find it necessary to vent all of your frustrations on, sometimes so obviously overinflated that there must be bleed-over from aspects of your life which have nothing to do with me or even your computers?

Maybe it’s because American businesses do not value people in the I.T. field. I remember attending a meeting / Christmas party when I worked in I.T. for a large California bank holding company. The I.T. manager for all branches told us troops that we needed to treat the bank employees like they were our customers. He also said that I.T. support was generally seen by people outside of the I.T. department as an unnecessary expense. As if the network spontaneously built itself and computers should “just work”. Sorry, but when technology took over the business world, someone did the heavy lifting. Business America has been ushered into this new era of the switch and the transistor, but nobody said it was magic. Computers are machines. Networks are highways and Interstates. All of these things must be maintained, especially when they are used all day, every day.

Running Windows certainly doesn’t help, either.

(That reminds me of a quote I wrote in my Palm Pilot a number of years ago, “A computer without the Windows operating system is like a dog without bricks tied to its head”)

So the next time something goes wrong with your computer, don’t try to justify blaming the I.T. guy just because he had his hands on your computer at one point in time. Don’t start formulating ideas based on your ignorance and fear, but if you do, kindly keep a mirror on hand so you can explore all angles.

Tagged with: assumptions | data | empathy | fear | ignorance

Categorised as: Blogs | Technical