I was going to write a “screed”

but, I lost the energy.

So, last week Friday, I bust my butt to get a damaged server fixed and out into the overnight deliveries so that my customer, the end user, can get working again. Good for me, right? No. They get their server before 3:00pm on Monday, as promised, then plug it in, turn it on, and walk away. Just hit the road and head home without making sure that it came up at all. Now, I’m sure that they had their reasons, but I worked an extra hour on a Friday, doing a less-than-perfect rushed job, just so they could get their files. And they didn’t care. That’ll teach me.

Then, I’m chasing backup issues all week this week. Trying to get people to change tapes should not be this hard. I mean, it’s once a week on Monday and that’s it. Just one, little 10 minute job to make sure they have their data in case of a crash. But, it’s like pulling teeth to get some of them to remember to do it.
And, while I’m doing that, I discover that one remote site has basically moved out of the building they were in a week ago and there’s no one there to change the tape. But no one told me!
Shoot, a majority of the people who are responsible for it don’t even read the report I send out every day with backup status. So, why do I bother?

Oh, yeah, because I’m a professional with 10+ years of experience and that’s what I do. Because working in IT is a damn thankless job that no one appreciates until they’re having problems. Because I’m damn good at what I do, even when the odds are against me. And, because that’s why they pay me. That’s my job.