[geeks] SGI Sadness

[wa2egp at att.net]

> Sorry. It was a dumb comment intended to point out there is a reason for
> carrying patch cables around (and you can't tell the difference between
> a good one and a bad one without looking closely). Turns out the some
> people think that patch leads can stretch if they pull hard enough.

They can't? :)  I should have been more specific.  PRINTER cables.

> There's problems with protected salaries ... this "tech" may not be
> popular with the central techs. Of course I shouldn't complain too much,
> as if it wasn't for protected salaries I could be about to loose nearly
> $7,500 a year.

Thank goodness for "protected" salaries (and tenure) or I'd still be
making less than when I was working at Radio Shack after all these
years.

The gentleman who is in charge got there because he once wrote a grant
and got Radio Shack to "network" TRS-80 Model III's in his classroom so
he became the "network wizard" in the system.  They even sent him to
a local college to get his CNE (which he will always remind you of) at
their cost and will full pay, which is what a normal company would do.
Now, he has two "helpers" who, with him, handle the whole district.
Unfortunately, he has to maintain his kingdom so information flow from
his office is very limited.  Thus, the tech problem.  Nor do they look
for anybody who has some kind of computer literacy to be a tech.  Guess
they need to be top (scared) dog.  We did have a real tech once and they
did not give a bit of help.  He left after a year.  

> There is a good reason for centralised control of software loads ... not
> only does it make supporting PCs easier if they're somewhat
> standardised, but it's a method of controlling the use of pirated
> software. Not that I'm accusing you, but here piracy was rife a few
> years ago ... especially with the academic policemen (one academic used
> to say he always kept a tight grip on his wallet whenever his visited
> them).

I understand that.  I got a site license for Interactive Physics for my
classroom (6 machines, 1 in faculty room, license for 10 machines).  They
paid for it but refused to approve it unless THEY installed it in the
machines THEY wanted to install it in.  (Only one in my room) but I said OK.
They never installed it.  I did it myself.  If you could see all the crap on
the machines!  Arrrgh!  My classroom machines were pretty clean since I would
clear out the crap at least twice a week.

Then we had a teacher (former engineer so he was the "Expert" in the 
department) who wanted it in the one computer room (32 machines).
I refused.  He went all the way to the Superintendent with that one.
I had to explain that my name was on the site license and it was only 
for 10 machines.  They didn't want to pay for more.  (Just do it and 
don't tell anybody.)  I threatened to drop a dime.  He wound up never
using it and when he left, I took the instruction book (with the 
passwords).  I heard the next district he worked for, he demanded all
the passwords to the Mac network they used, got them and proceeded to
decimate the Macs in the school.  Last I heard, he's still looking for
a job.  Couldn't teach worth s**t either.  End of story.

> Of course it's broken if you can't get your software put onto the list
> of standard software.

Believe it or not, anything I've put on a machine has not crashed the
machine.  I support things myself, central and the tech never do.
The fourth floor faculty room has two running machines
because I try to keep them running. It's gotten to the point that the
"science" floor usually has the least problems and people come to me
with their computer problems.  I really don't know poop about PCs.
I just seem to get them to work.
 
> What most people don't realise is that Universities *are* year round
> schools. We have perhaps 25% of the students during the summer but with
> a lot higher 'churn' (lots of two week courses). And of course the
> summer is time for all the big project work in IT. I used to laugh when
> people assumed that I had a quiet life during the summer. Now I grind my
> teeth.

I wouldn't assume that colleges/universities are the same as high school.
Same goes for grammer school and high school.  My building is active all
year long since it is the only one air conditioned, central has decided
that summer school will be held in my building.  We normally have 700.
This year, summer school has 1500 supposedly attending (usually dwindles
to about 500 in a few days).  I can imagine the amount of damage I'll be
greeted with in September.

Bob

BTW, how do you keep the students from stealing the mouse balls?
Glue the mice shut with Super Glue, of course!  (from our tech)