Laurence Cadieux
SysAdmin Appreciation Day is happening on July 30, 2021. This is an annual event when colleagues and customers take the opportunity to thank dedicated, competent, and hard-working SysAdmins (and other IT pros) for all they do. And while giving SysAdmins presents is not mandatory, it is certainly appreciated — even a small gesture like having a coffee together, going out for pizza, or giving an inexpensive geeky gift.
This year, our theme for SysAdmin Appreciation Day is HEROES — because that is exactly what many of you are! No, you don’t wear a cape, you aren’t faster than a speeding bullet, and you don’t leap tall buildings in a single bound. But not every hero has their own comic book and movie franchise. Some heroes work behind-the-scenes to keep systems and devices secure and optimized (and maybe play some Minecraft after hours when everyone goes home…don’t worry, your secret is safe with us!).
As part of this hero theme, we want to have some fun and ask you: what IT “superpowers” do you wish you had?
Here are some possibilities:
- The ability to instantly tell whether end users have followed ALL of your problem-solving instructions.
- The power to freeze people who have the nerve to interrupt you when you’re concentrating (how dare they?).
- The capacity to prevent relatives, neighbors, and total strangers from asking you to fix their computer/smartphone/IoT device/anything technical because you’re an IT Guru.
- The talent to read minds and know whether end users have been visiting unauthorized sites and downloading stuff they shouldn’t (“I have no idea why there are 14 browser toolbars installed…I just use my system for work purposes.”).
- The gift of preventing colleagues and customers from calling you before or after work.
- The aptitude to ensure that all meetings are actually going to be relevant and a valuable use of your time BEFORE you attend them.
- The gift of being able to fix any problem and put a smile on end users’ faces (aw, aren’t you nice?).
These are just a few examples. Please be as creative and imaginative as you wish — remember, we are here to have fun and celebrate SysAdmins and IT pros!
Steven Lafortune
