Troubleshooting Post #2 - Are you a Microsoftie?

Another discussion from MWLUG which is close to my heart regarded the lost art of troubleshooting.

I say the lost art because the younger generation is not so adept at how to solve unknown riddles like why email isn't flowing, from one user, to the internet or someone else.

Over the day or 2 one theory I proposed is this:

Microsoft has made everyone stupider

If you are an Exchange admin, for instance, you may or may not know anything outside your little shell. Rare is it when one has this experience.

Don't get me wrong, I know some excellent Windows techs and Exchange Admins and even a Sharpeoint Developer or 2. But when it comes down to it, none of them ever get a chance to really see the whole infrastructure like a Domino admin does.

So while I have to figure out, with little clues usually, what is wrong, that is what I get paid for, to solve riddles.

Where the problem gets worse is when parents do not instill in their children how to figure something out. Tossing out an electric device because it popped a $1.50 fuse is not a god lesson to pass on.

While I spend my time teaching my kids about wiring, electric, mechanics and machinations, my neighbor's kids are clueless, maybe out of nature but certainly not helped by a lack of nurture. I even have friends who don't change light bulbs.

So when it comes down to it if you can't figure out why running install doesn't work on something you probably have been burning clients money for years.

Sadly most of them don't care.

A true troubleshooter is worth their weight in gold to any organization, yet they are usually let go because they are not considered critical as generalists or deemed expensive to keep.

Most of us at MWLUG agreed that Domino admins are much more adept at troubleshooting.

Just another reason why Domino Admins deserve respect.