IT BS thread

I'm a systems analyst, among some other things. The HTML is much like jsi said about the screw driver for an automotive tech.
More than anything, you have to figure out what they are trying to get you to do with the HTML. Are you going to be the webmaster, or are you a functional consultant who acts as the middleman between the client/office staff and the development team?

I sit next to our web developer and he does most of his current work in HTML5, C#, and KendoUI from what I know. If I was to act as a business analyst for him, I would shield him from the other departments and act as his who/what/where/when/how. I would need to have a passable level of understanding of finance, sales, marketing, warehousing, etc., and then some knowledge of web design or interface design to be able to translate between the two groups. It's so incredibly easier as a developer if all you have to think about is the code and not what the client thinks they want, so the developer loves you. The finance/sales/whatever department has no idea what the developer is talking about, so they feel safer talking to you.
Rarely will you do any coding at all unless that happens to be your thing, and you usually aren't allowed to be both consultant and developer until you have proven some mettle.

I'd personally consider beefing up knowledge in statistics and anything that helps with report presentation and design. There's so many companies that have mile long spreadsheets that they wish they could turn into a neat dashboard with a graph, but they don't understand how to get there and have no idea what a KPI is. If you can be that guy, you can be a god.

 

Frankly a good place to start with HTML is just going to w3schools and reading all their crap. http://www.w3schools.com/html/html5_intro.asp

When you figure out what you're actually doing you can get more in depth with it.

 

W3Schools is sort of like wikipedia, read a bit here.
CodeAcademy is supposed to be pretty good, I don't have knowledge of them.
I personally use stackoverflow for a lot of things, but that's more of a reference than a learning site.

 

Stackoverflow is good for free. If you can get the bosses to pay for it, I highly recommend experts-exchange. I'm going back to having a personal account there for when I change jobs. Worth every penny.

 

Thanks for all the information guys! I won't start until this summer as I'm currently learning C# and Java.

 

Hey Corey. I've read this a few times and just can't seem to get a good picture.
Learning C# and Java is an interesting mix when it comes to applying both in an environment.
I'm guessing that it is a windows front end with an Oracle back end, but what really is most important is the type of data you will be working with and the reports you will be configuring.
As I really do not know your background, I was wondering about your MSOffice proficiency with Excel, Access, and Front Page.
If you can build tables and turn them into reports then you have a good foundation into some key concepts.
The next escalation would be to a more dedicated database, with MSDesktopEngine, Oracle Express, and MySQL being the most common freebies that will run on Windows 7. Experience with these will help in the two way traffic that goes to your pages. Each has pros and cons, but the value about dabbling in those to support your front end is understating the limitations.
Here is where the roads diverge, as others have stated before, as there are a myriad of wrapped packages that connect your data sources and provide all the bling.
Learning HTML will help you fix other people's mistakes, but will not help you be productive publishing pages. It won't hurt your ability to produce content, just not help much.

 

The other up side, though, is pretty simple: Code is code.

Even dead-simple HTML 3 and such still has logic, follows rules, kicks you in the balls for swapping syntaxes by accident, etc.

I haven't done development code of ANY kind in more years than I'd care to talk about, and haven't done any web page design since the late 90s/early 2000s, but the logic and processes of even the most simple page layout and making shit happen therein ... you use that later.

I've pulled about non-sorted debug log files for scriptlogic logins and ended up writing a shell script to auto sort and rename them and drop them in the subfolders I wanted based on any errors they threw when a client logged in. Logic is logic, processes follow a simple if>then and work in order, and when you get used to following the working of any code, you use that all over the place.

I dunno if I'[d call that 'not helping much'. I mean, it may not be his primary job duty or what he gets paid specifically for, but if he's gonna spend some time and build a career out of it, then you know he'll use bits of that logic someplace.

 

Most important with HTML is learning it in conjunction with CSS. Using pure HTML for web design is sloppy. CSS makes the backend of the design cleaner and easier to work with. Think of it as a template. Also, validate your code with W3C's tools. It'll show you what goes against the standard.

If you have access to a copy of Dreamweaver, you can highlight code and see exactly what it does on the graphical page. Could be used as a learning tool.

It's been a while since I've written any CSS or HTML. Haven't had a need. I prefer it very much to true programming, though. I knew a little C++ and Java at one time, but hate both and it just ends up frustrating me. Couldn't even write a "Hello World" sort of thing at this point without looking things up.

...but that's why I'm a network admin and not a programmer. Subnetting and Cisco switch/router configuration could be done in my sleep. I do not have the mind that can get to that point with programming.

 

I am very proficient with excel. I can't tell you what I'll be doing at all but I know they told me to learn C# and Java and if I could try to learn HTML. Other than that I have no clue other than I start June 3rd lol.

I know the company will train me on everything that I need but just thought I'd get a head start on it if I could.

 

I wonder what his TW handle is

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/15/0...rking-5-speed-transmission-for-toyota-engines

 

So, I got to do my least favorite part of my job over the last few days, hiring a new employee. Reading resumes, interviewing and telling the unselected candidates sorry is a miserable task.

Of all those tasks reading the resumes is the worst. I have to do it with my door closed because I have to yell WTF! so many times during the process. Seriously the number of half baked crap that people put out there is beyond WTF. I've got one guy that puts in for nearly every opening. He doesn't even want to be in IT but a totally different department. Just WTF does he think I'm going to do with his resume?! Hand carry it over to the other department? Yeah, that's not going to happen. And the desperation of some resumes is so thick, I feel sorry for them as they go into the reject pile. But I use the application process as the first filter and if they can't follow the application instruction what hope do I have of them ever following the job instructions.

But in the end I've hired a really great candidate. Now all I have to do is train him . . . the fun never ends,

 

My brief stint in management was enough to put me off of it. I'll take being a grunt and peon for the ability to go home and never have to think about work until the next time I go in. Granted money is tight for my hobbies and lifestyle but meh. Less stress is good.

 

At this last interview, I made it expressly known that I had exactly zero interest in being a manager, joining management, or having anything to do with being supervisory.

If there were opportunities for advancement, they would be for tech side things ONLY.

I turned down a Director's gig when I was ~30. One of the best decisions I ever made. Sure, the money was GREAT, but I've seen up close what that job entails. And I want no part of it!

 

It takes a smart man to know what he wants. A couple of my guys want to be in management and I tell them be careful of what you ask for. I've been in management of some form for a long time and I actually like most of the job, but it sure as heck isn't for everyone.

 

I just got accepted into my local college's networking program. I'm pursuing an associate's degree and start this summer. I have almost 3 pages of electives to choose from, but only have 14 hours to put towards electives, so I was hoping that someone in and IT job could help me decide what I need to take. Here are my choices

 

It depends on what you want to do, and if you want to get dirty.

Both figuratively and literally. I see entries there for CCNA/Security, etc. These are great for long term work prospects and lots of flexibility to decide what specific field you might want to get into. Good building blocks to understand to work with and hone later.

I also see forensics and such, which is a bit tougher to specialize in and can get you literally dirty but I find tremendously entertaining. Being the Sherlock Holmes in the nuthouse trying to figure out what went wrong where and why is a huge part of what I do every day, and why I find it imperative to not get promoted into management...no managers are OK doing desk diving, climbing in ceilings, scaling buildings, what have you.

There's also a bunch of database entries in those pages. Database specialization is, as far as I can tell, more of a cube-dweller type job. There's nothing wrong with this in and of itself, and the pay can be really nice. It's just not my thing personally...I like desk-side work and working with all kinds of folks. Database arcs/specialists don't generally do as much flesh-pressing.

Also, all above is just personal experience.

 

I agree with this 100%. Security will give you a very broad spectrum of things to learn. It isn't going anywhere and you will have a career in it if you want.

Forensics is very intriguing, but like xaks said it can be difficult to specialize in. It does kind of go with security so you could do a combination of the 2.

 

Thanks for the help. I also have an associate's in criminal justice if that helps at all. Security is an interest for me. I do not want a cubicle at all, I like hands on work where I use my brain to solve problems.

 

With a career in computers, you will likely be in a cubicle or something similar. But with these jobs most times you be able to use your brain to solve problems.

You may have to start some off low and prove yourself so you can move into a role where you are the one problem solving.

 

The best way to prevent living in a cubicle is to work at a small/medium business where it's either just you, or you and one other person.

Then you get to be the SA, DBA, Helpdesk1/2/3, network engineer and whatever else!