So, a while ago I managed to lose the list of news feeds I tracked. As my life finally started winding down to a mellow level of chaos, I recently started playing catchup. The result is that I've been reading either overlooked, forgotten, or simply neglected feeds and posts around the blogosphere.

Is that really the question?

I've often wondered whether I should maintain a blog, or whether I should rely on others to write about the various topics I'm interested in. Recently I've decided that I should blog for a variety of reasons. Those reasons are...

So, the LOPSA Sysadmin Days 2007 training event is now over. I thought it was a very successful event, and I met many new and interesting people.

I have no information on how the other courses went since I was teaching all four sessions, but anecdotally I heard they went well overall.

When I get caught up I'll provide more details about the event.

So, it's the 8th annual System Administrator Appreciation Day today!

Every profession has their day, it seems, and this is our day. Please
take a moment today to reflect on the work your fellow system administrators do.

LOPSA Sysadmin Days is coming!

Just like last fall in Phoenix, I am teaching all four classes at this year's event.

Those classes are:

• Disaster Recovery: Will you survive?
• Change Management: Why suffer the paperwork?
• Advanced Security: A self-assessment study
• Communication for IT: A broad spectrum analysis

I hope attendence is as high in my classes as last year (or higher!). Last year they were the most attendended classes except, of course, for Tom Limoncelli's Time Management for System Administrators, a course based on his popular book of the same name.

We have some top notch instructor's again, and I wish I could take four classes instead of just teach them.

Please register today!

I am teaching four classes at SysAdmin Days in Phoenix, AZ, which is November 6 and 7, 2006. If you are anywhere near there, please take a serious look at the program offered. There are some top notch instructors, so it's a fantastic price.

I posted the following to LOPSAÂ at http://lopsa.org/node/816:

 In my efforts to generate an SA skills matrix, I've discovered that we haven't managed to quantify what we do in categories in a clear and consistent manner. Therefore, I'm calling on other SAs to help me build this list. The results of my efforts will be returned to the community, as well, so let's all put a little in and get a lot out!

Seth Godin posted the Top ways to defend the status quo.

If you've heard anything like what's on that list, your organization might suffer from metathesiophobia, the fear of changes, and be subject to groupthink.

What can you do to counteract this paralyzing groupthink behavior?

Today, I officially gave notice of my termination of employment with AT&T. My last day is September 22, 2006. I start as Senior Systems Administrator/Team Lead at IT Convergence on October 2, 2006.