nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
 ·Cox HSI
 ·Speakeasy
| Muddled Terms
Does it drive you kind of bats when terms seem to have their meanings muddled?
I mean, one that I run into is "SAN". I run into quite a lot of storage users (and even a non-trivial number of administrators) that, when you say "SAN", they're referring to the STORAGE component of the storage area network. If you just use "SAN" to refer to the network, your meaning can be lost. So, end up having to say either "SAN network" or "storage network" so that you know that they understand you to mean the network and not the storage.
Probably other ones I run into, but this is the most recent one I've been having to deal with. Anyone have others that they deal with?
--
The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
|
donoreo
Premium
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON | Most terms used by "management", especially the made up ones like "synergy"  |
|
techjoe
Premium
join:2004-02-20
Schererville, IN
clubs: | "Virtualization"  |
|
joshg409
join:2005-05-03
Ottumwa, IA
| reply to nixen
To me, SAN is the "Storage Area Network" as the name implies the collection of all the SAN devices. When refering to the storage I refer to the "SAN Array"
Try explaining the concept of the SAN and see where that gets you!
Virtualization is another one, "What happened to the computer?" or "what is the number on the KVM that I use to connect to the server?" |
|
The Dv8or
DSLReports Forums -- The Mouse House 2.0
Premium
join:2001-08-09
Danbury, CT
clubs:
| reply to nixen
"Server"
EVERYTHING is a "server". The T1 line is a "server". The Internet is a "server". And anytime something goes wrong with the "server", my users, who apparently have a Ph. fuckin D. in IT suggest "maybe you need a new server".
Nixen, as for SAN, manufacturers and salespeople are just as guilty as anyone else for this problem.
--
You're so vain... I bet you think this post is about you. |
|
nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
·Speakeasy
| said by The Dv8or  :"Server" EVERYTHING is a "server". The T1 line is a "server". The Internet is a "server". And anytime something goes wrong with the "server", my users, who apparently have a Ph. fuckin D. in IT suggest "maybe you need a new server". I'm more used to people saying, "the Internet is down". Really, the entire Internet is down??? WTF did you DO?!?
A valid question, because the answer's going to be the same ANY time their system gets jacked up ("I didn't do anything").
--
The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
|
dcowner
@comcast.net
| reply to nixen
did you ever think that the above attitudes are why business users generally HATE the IT department. The fact is that it's not the end users job to know how everything works. That is what they hire YOU for.
I have been in IT for the last 12 years and I have never seen more people of average to below average intelligence with bigger chips on their shoulders because they somehow think they are in control. Thanks for the laugh. |
|
The Dv8or
DSLReports Forums -- The Mouse House 2.0
Premium
join:2001-08-09
Danbury, CT
clubs:
| Did you ever think that if the user put the bare minimum of effort into taking care of their own system, and gave at least 10% of a shit in explaining their issue properly, that we wouldn't have this problem? My two biggest issues with initial customer complaints are that they are either entirely too vague (the system doesnt work), or they think they know more than they actually do, so the complaint comes in the form of what they think the solution should be (I need more memory). If the user gave a relatively accurate and specific description of what was going on, we would be able to more accurately have an idea of what's going on.
--
You're so vain... I bet you think this post is about you. |
|
psx_defector
join:2001-06-09
Allen, TX
| reply to dcowner
said by dcowner :
The fact is that it's not the end users job to know how everything works. That is what they hire YOU for. Do we have to know everything about anything?
I get called for security access issues, power issues with cubicles, parking issues, HR questions about the payroll website, safety and ergonomic compliance, oh, and having to learn new software so I can "teach" them how to use it.
No, I don't know how to use Photoshop. In all truthfulness, yes, I do know how to use Photoshop. I know a lot more than the person who is asking the question, and in some circles I would be considered a subject matter expert, but it's not my job to teach you everything I know about Photoshop to do your job. I learned by myself, and if someone can't put in the time to learn it on their own, it isn't worth my time to teach them. Just because I have the aptitude to learn and "can pick up things quickly" doesn't mean you get to shut down your brain and mooch off mine.
We are hired to administrate, to program, not to teach. |
|
nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
·Speakeasy
| reply to dcowner
said by dcowner :
did you ever think that the above attitudes are why business users generally HATE the IT department. The fact is that it's not the end users job to know how everything works. That is what they hire YOU for. Ok, jackhole, if they're hiring us because we, apparently, are supposed to "know how everything works", why are said people so quick to tell me how to fix their problem? You can't have it both ways.
said by dcowner :
I have been in IT for the last 12 years Congratulations: you don't win the "how long have you been in IT" dick-size wars. If I had a nickle for every git that used "I've been in..." as a defense for their attitude, I'd be able to retire by now.
said by dcowner :
and I have never seen more people of average to below average intelligence with bigger chips on their shoulders because they somehow think they are in control. Thanks for the laugh. Desktop support people, perhaps. However, not infrequently, that's more a matter of experience and needing to get one's foot in the door, than lack of either intelligence or clue. That's far more than I can say of the peter-principle examples that make up better than 90% of the PHBs out there.
--
The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
|
sporkme
drop the crantini and move it, sister
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-01
Morristown, NJ | reply to nixen
Is a "SAN network" like an "ATM machine"? |
|
mod_wastrel
join:2008-03-28 | Only in the Department of Redundancy Department--which is, yes, sometimes referred to as the DRD department  . |
|
nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
·Speakeasy
| reply to sporkme
said by sporkme :Is a "SAN network" like an "ATM machine"? Yeah. That's what bothers me when I need to differentiate that way.
--
The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
|
Marcer
VIP
join:2007-07-08
Hamilton, ON
·Mountain Cable
| reply to sporkme
Re: Muddled Terms
said by sporkme :Is a "SAN network" like an "ATM machine"? Yup, Just like a NIC Card  |
|
fcisler
Premium
join:2004-06-14
Riverhead, NY
| reply to nixen
to the poster who said "that's why IT hates everyone...."
I at least expect a coherent sentence of the issue at hand and a brief description of 1) Who is it affecting 2) How it's affecting them 3) When did this issue arise and 4) Was anything done out of the ordinary prior to
When I get an email like
"Department unable to print"....and then walk down (ok...I lied...i send someone else down) and it turns out ONE person at the front counter ran out of PAPER - and there's 4 other places open they could have MOVED TO - yes I get pissed. The department's down when >= 50% of said department is not functioning.
How about instead
"John Doe at the front counter cannot print". Better yet "John doe at workstation XX cannot print. Printer lights are flashing"
I know i'll never get as much of an answer out of them - hell - had they looked at the printer they would have seen a LOW PAPER light flashing!
One of my favorites:
"Jane cannot get into the system".
Ok. I have 8 janes that work in YOUR DEPARTMENT ALONE. Which system? Active Directory or one of the several other systems we have? What is the message?
Go down and what is it.....they locked their account out and it says "Account locked out". Did they give the message? No. So I now need to walk down, to walk back and perform said operation from my desk.
Again - how about a "jdoe is receiving a message stating 'account locked out'"
But that would be too much. I've put errors in my programs before that make absolutely no sense (I had a "password not valid" error that stated "user error, type moar careful!1" for several months) - guess what? No one reads them or notices. |
|
nixen
Rockin' the Boxen
Premium
join:2002-10-04
Alexandria, VA
·Cox HSI
·Speakeasy
| reply to nixen
Oh, another goody: "IT".
If you work in the computing technology industry, you know that there are many, very different, things - IT, operations, engineering, consulting, etc. - that all get lumped together as "IT". So, you have to differentiate and explain the differences to the layman. Most still don't get it. We're all "just those computer guys" and, to them, all "IT".
--
The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell |
|
NetAdmin
CCNA
join:2008-05-22 | reply to nixen
When people refer to the local storage device, aka hard drive, as memory. And then, when they refer to their system as the hard drive.
Or my favorite muddled term - "urgent" or "high priority".
--
Kilroy was here |
|
cmaenginsb
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-19
Palmdale, CA
| reply to dcowner
said by dcowner :
did you ever think that the above attitudes are why business users generally HATE the IT department. The fact is that it's not the end users job to know how everything works. That is what they hire YOU for.
I have been in IT for the last 12 years and I have never seen more people of average to below average intelligence with bigger chips on their shoulders because they somehow think they are in control. Thanks for the laugh.
Just like it's not the driver's responsibility to know how everything on their car works, but most know simple things like you need air in the tires, oil in the engine and water in the radiator yet the same level of conceptual understanding of a computer or internet is lacking in most people.
--
CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber |
|
cmaenginsb
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-19
Palmdale, CA
| reply to nixen
Ok, I'm working on a project now for a customer where we are installing a solution as specified by a different consultant who is "overseeing" the process.
When I ask him how he wants to implement NTP (since time is critical and I expect him to know that MS NTP is not accurate enough since he's the SME) his response is to send me the MS knowledge base article outlining how to configure time on Windows 2003 server and call it a "wiki".
I have no problem with many users not knowing certain terminology but this guy is supposedly an "expert" and is being paid for his "knowledge". This is the same guy who specs a media convertor using a single strand of fiber to connect to a two strand SFP in the switch.
--
CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber |
|
