Dear Users... (A thread for Sysadmin, Technical Support, and Help Desk people) - Page 41

Blue Mountain · 4th December 2019, 05:19 PM

It may be fashionable to rag on Perl, but it does have excellent performance.

A while ago I was testing database scaling with GNU dbm and Berkeley dbm. I needed a large dataset and hit on the idea of using a number as the key (e.g. "123456789") and the number's words in English as the data (e.g. "one hundred twenty-three million, four hundred fifty-six thousand, seven hundred eighty-nine".) Such a dataset is by its very nature infinitely scalable. The algorithm I developed is pretty straightforward, and out of curiosity I ended up implementing it in several languages.

Here are the results from tests I ran on my laptop (Intel Pentium 3825U, 1.90GHz), in thousands of records generated per second:

Compiled C program (gcc -O3): 2,840
PHP 7: 403
mawk (a fast version of awk): 311
Perl: 287
Lua: 164
Ruby: 158
Java: 137
Python: 116
TCL: 68
Bash script: 6.4

The Perl program ran at more than twice the speed of the equivalent Python and Java programs.

On more powerful hardware such as a Ryzen CPU, Java and Python fared better when compared with Perl, running at 79% and 68% (respectively) the speed of the Perl program.

arthwollipot · 4th December 2019, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Blue Mountain

I understand. As a programmer my first impulse on hearing of any computer issue is to figure out how to write a solution for it. Shocking as it may seem to me, there actually are things in life more important than programming or learning how to program.

Yeah, like I said, this task is ideal for automation, but it's not going to happen.

Originally Posted by Wudang

arthwollipot · 4th December 2019, 07:48 PM

I was just asked by one of the management team to submit a request for an increase in my security clearance. Since this is a prerequisite for the position I've been going for, I think things are starting to look pretty good.

Norman Alexander · 4th December 2019, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

I was just asked by one of the management team to submit a request for an increase in my security clearance. Since this is a prerequisite for the position I've been going for, I think things are starting to look pretty good.

By George, I think you've got it!

Norman Alexander · 4th December 2019, 07:59 PM

Then again, there's this rather ominous sounding development: https://www.theguardian.com/australi...ervice-changes

Quote:

Prime minister Scott Morrison has announced a major shake-up of the public service that will see four departments abolished, five secretaries sacked, and responsibility for emissions reductions removed from the department of environment.

Under the changes outlined by Morrison on Thursday, 18 government departments will be reduced to 14, with the prime minister saying the move would see “better services on the ground”.

He said the changes were not a savings measure, and there were no job losses expected. There will also be no changes to the ministry.

arthwollipot · 4th December 2019, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

Then again, there's this rather ominous sounding development: https://www.theguardian.com/australi...ervice-changes

That's not likely to impact me much. We've already had the obligatory stand-up meeting about it. Essentially our two largest clients are going to merge and become one super-client.

arthwollipot · 4th December 2019, 09:08 PM

Well that was an unusual call. Here is a near-exact transcript:

Hello, Service Desk, how can I help?

Everything is working, nothing is going wrong, and you're all doing a great job.

Uh... thanks.

Bye! *click*

Norman Alexander · 4th December 2019, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Well that was an unusual call. Here is a near-exact transcript:

Hello, Service Desk, how can I help?

Everything is working, nothing is going wrong, and you're all doing a great job.

Uh... thanks.

Bye! *click*

I got through to you!

arthwollipot · 4th December 2019, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

I got through to you!

Not unless you're secretly an attractive blonde lady you didn't.

erlando · 5th December 2019, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Well that was an unusual call. Here is a near-exact transcript:

Hello, Service Desk, how can I help?

Everything is working, nothing is going wrong, and you're all doing a great job.

Uh... thanks.

Bye! *click*

That's a phenomenon called "appreciation". It's very rarely found in the wild. You should consider yourself lucky to have observed it first hand.

Tolls · 5th December 2019, 01:24 AM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Not unless you're secretly an attractive blonde lady you didn't.

Clearly Norman's talents know no bounds!

Norman Alexander · 5th December 2019, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Not unless you're secretly an attractive blonde lady you didn't.

You have no idea how secret I am! The rest...nah.

Norman Alexander · 5th December 2019, 02:02 AM

Originally Posted by Tolls

Clearly Norman's talents know no bounds!

Since I have none, bounds are of no consequence.

Faydra · 5th December 2019, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by Wudang

If there were a pith award for nerds, you would so win with this one.

Faydra · 5th December 2019, 02:53 PM

I'm super happy - I've been in this same role at my company since 2006. (with a brief interruption around 2014, but that's a whole 'nuther story). I'm good at it, and there is only a very small subset of people in the country that do what I do. It's why they *love* me.

Anyway, they asked me to learn this other thing! New Things! Shiny objects!

So, I've been having a blast the last two days playing around with the new thing. I'm in fake it until you make it mode.

Wonder what this button does? <click>

Whee!

arthwollipot · 5th December 2019, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by erlando

That's a phenomenon called "appreciation". It's very rarely found in the wild. You should consider yourself lucky to have observed it first hand.

I did lodge a feedback incident about it.

They've got me almost entirely on Service Requests now. That's the boring, repetitive stuff, but in terms of career positioning it's where I want to be.

erlando · 6th December 2019, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by Faydra

Wonder what this button does? <click>

Otherwhere in the building someone is going insane because the lights keep turning off...

Darat · 6th December 2019, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by erlando

That's a phenomenon called "appreciation". It's very rarely found in the wild. You should consider yourself lucky to have observed it first hand.

Anecdotes don't make evidence. I am sure there is a rational explanation for arthwolipot's claim, he was probably on drugs or had a crossed line on the phone.

You claiming it had to be a supernatural act before all the rational reasons are exhausted is not very sceptical. I know people have made claims of "appreciation" in the IT support profession for decades but we are yet to see one single iota of solid evidence it actually happens.

Trebuchet · 6th December 2019, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Well that was an unusual call. Here is a near-exact transcript:

Hello, Service Desk, how can I help?

Everything is working, nothing is going wrong, and you're all doing a great job.

Uh... thanks.

Bye! *click*

You gave your mom your work number?

Wudang · 6th December 2019, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Darat

Anecdotes don't make evidence. I am sure there is a rational explanation for arthwolipot's claim, he was probably on drugs or had a crossed line on the phone.

You claiming it had to be a supernatural act before all the rational reasons are exhausted is not very sceptical. I know people have made claims of "appreciation" in the IT support profession for decades but we are yet to see one single iota of solid evidence it actually happens.

It’s usually a case of HR reflecting swamp gas from the need to pay techies the going rate.

quadraginta · 7th December 2019, 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by Wudang

It’s usually a case of HR reflecting swamp gas from the need to pay techies the going rate.

I suppose 'swamp' gas could be one name for it.

If it's coming from HR that would be a polite way to describe it.

arthwollipot · 10th December 2019, 09:48 PM

Okay friends, I know you've been as much on the edge of your seats about this as I have been on mine. I heard back about the interview.

My interview was successful.

But.

There's always a but. This but is but there are more successful applicants than there are positions to fill. So I don't have the position. However, it is still a win for me, because I am now on a merit list for 12 months. During this time I can be offered any APS4-level position in Tech Services without an application or an interview. I would of course like a position here in the Service Desk because it's what I know and enjoy, but if I can get a permanency in another team, you bet I'll take it.

Furthermore, we are about to go through a massive MoG (Machinery of Government) shakeup because of this, so who knows what positions at this level may open up in a couple of months?

So for now, I'm not in the position I wanted but I'm not disappointed because I know that I am good enough for it.

And yeah, I'll be subtly hinting to the existing 4s here to think about advancing their careers too.

TragicMonkey · 11th December 2019, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Okay friends, I know you've been as much on the edge of your seats about this as I have been on mine. I heard back about the interview.

My interview was successful.

But.

There's always a but. This but is but there are more successful applicants than there are positions to fill. So I don't have the position. However, it is still a win for me, because I am now on a merit list for 12 months. During this time I can be offered any APS4-level position in Tech Services without an application or an interview. I would of course like a position here in the Service Desk because it's what I know and enjoy, but if I can get a permanency in another team, you bet I'll take it.

Furthermore, we are about to go through a massive MoG (Machinery of Government) shakeup because of this, so who knows what positions at this level may open up in a couple of months?

So for now, I'm not in the position I wanted but I'm not disappointed because I know that I am good enough for it.

And yeah, I'll be subtly hinting to the existing 4s here to think about advancing their careers too.

If there are no openings the logical course is to make some. Does this workplace have shared coffee pots? The second statement is unrelated to the first, and neither are related to the ubiquity of toxic plant life globally and in your region particularly. I'm certainly not suggesting the course of action you're thinking of, wink wink.

Hellbound · 11th December 2019, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Okay friends, I know you've been as much on the edge of your seats about this as I have been on mine. I heard back about the interview.

My interview was successful.

But.

There's always a but. This but is but there are more successful applicants than there are positions to fill. So I don't have the position. However, it is still a win for me, because I am now on a merit list for 12 months. During this time I can be offered any APS4-level position in Tech Services without an application or an interview. I would of course like a position here in the Service Desk because it's what I know and enjoy, but if I can get a permanency in another team, you bet I'll take it.

Furthermore, we are about to go through a massive MoG (Machinery of Government) shakeup because of this, so who knows what positions at this level may open up in a couple of months?

So for now, I'm not in the position I wanted but I'm not disappointed because I know that I am good enough for it.

And yeah, I'll be subtly hinting to the existing 4s here to think about advancing their careers too.

While not perhaps the best possible result, it still sounds like you've gotten yourself into a good position, Congrats!

I'm a bit excited to be moving to a new job soon, myself

.

Originally Posted by TragicMonkey

If there are no openings the logical course is to make some. Does this workplace have shared coffee pots? The second statement is unrelated to the first, and neither are related to the ubiquity of toxic plant life globally and in your region particularly. I'm certainly not suggesting the course of action you're thinking of, wink wink.

From the mouths of babes...

Orphia Nay · 13th December 2019, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Okay friends, I know you've been as much on the edge of your seats about this as I have been on mine. I heard back about the interview.

My interview was successful.

But.

There's always a but. This but is but there are more successful applicants than there are positions to fill. So I don't have the position. However, it is still a win for me, because I am now on a merit list for 12 months. During this time I can be offered any APS4-level position in Tech Services without an application or an interview. I would of course like a position here in the Service Desk because it's what I know and enjoy, but if I can get a permanency in another team, you bet I'll take it.

Furthermore, we are about to go through a massive MoG (Machinery of Government) shakeup because of this, so who knows what positions at this level may open up in a couple of months?

So for now, I'm not in the position I wanted but I'm not disappointed because I know that I am good enough for it.

And yeah, I'll be subtly hinting to the existing 4s here to think about advancing their careers too.

They might phase up instead of you 4s bootstrapping.

Sort of thing.

No-one to be left behind.

(You probably helped users too.)

Well done for going for it.

Orphia Nay · 13th December 2019, 07:43 AM

#6670 Discord

Anyone else here on there?

novaphile · 13th December 2019, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by Orphia Nay

#6670 Discord

Anyone else here on there?

Yes.

novaphile#4707

I don't think your ID is sufficient for people to find you there.
User name is required too.

Orphia Nay · 14th December 2019, 01:16 AM

Orphia#6670

Mongrel · 14th December 2019, 02:43 PM

Naaman#0021

Faydra · 8th January 2020, 01:25 PM

Yep

novaphile · 8th January 2020, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by Faydra

Yep

Good grief, I had heard that Elmo had a substance abuse problem, but I had no idea it was that bad.

arthwollipot · 12th January 2020, 11:03 PM

I have news!

Starting next week I'll be moving fully over on to Service Requests. From there they have a non-ongoing APS3 position to put me into, though we are on a recruitment pause right now because MoG. One of the TLs though - a 4 - is moving on to an APS5 position in Desktop Support in February, so that's going to open up a vacancy, and that is an ongoing position.

Things are definitely Looking Up.

Wudang · 13th January 2020, 12:14 AM

Awesome. Congratulations.

novaphile · 13th January 2020, 03:06 PM

Norman Alexander · 13th January 2020, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

I have news!

Starting next week I'll be moving fully over on to Service Requests. From there they have a non-ongoing APS3 position to put me into, though we are on a recruitment pause right now because MoG. One of the TLs though - a 4 - is moving on to an APS5 position in Desktop Support in February, so that's going to open up a vacancy, and that is an ongoing position.

Things are definitely Looking Up.

Enjoy the extra responsibility and the moolah that goes with it.

arthwollipot · 13th January 2020, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

Enjoy the extra responsibility and the moolah that goes with it.

I'm definitely looking forward to enjoying the moolah. But even more, paid sick leave and flextime. I now have an administrator account and I have submitted my application for an increase to my security clearance.

Norman Alexander · 13th January 2020, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

I'm definitely looking forward to enjoying the moolah. But even more, paid sick leave and flextime. I now have an administrator account and I have submitted my application for an increase to my security clearance.

Can you fix my PC from there now?

arthwollipot · 13th January 2020, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

Can you fix my PC from there now?

No.

xterra · 13th January 2020, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

I have news!

Starting next week I'll be moving fully over on to Service Requests. From there they have a non-ongoing APS3 position to put me into, though we are on a recruitment pause right now because MoG. One of the TLs though - a 4 - is moving on to an APS5 position in Desktop Support in February, so that's going to open up a vacancy, and that is an ongoing position.

Things are definitely Looking Up.

Congratulations! Now could you please explain the highlighted items.

arthwollipot · 13th January 2020, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by xterra

Congratulations! Now could you please explain the highlighted items.

That's fair.

The Australian Public Service (APS) has a system of classifying their staff according to their ability and experience. It starts with the APS classifications - APS1 at the bottom, APS6 at the top. Above that is Executive Level - EL1 and EL2. These are management positions and are generally section heads. My boss is an EL1. Above that you have the Special Executive Service who are in charge of whole divisions of a public service department.

I applied for, and was successful at attaining, an APS4 position. This is about the highest I can go without supervisory duties. My Team Leader (TL) (who is distinct from my boss) is an APS5. The higher the number, the higher the moolah, but also the higher the responsibility.

MoG stands for Machinery of Government. At the end of last year, Megablaze Morrison announced that, amongst other shakeups in the Public Service, the department of Education was going to merge with the department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. These two departments are our biggest clients, and they're going to be mushed together. That means work. All of the work required to implement that change is characterised as part of the MoG.

4th December 2019, 05:19 PM	#1601
Blue Mountain Resident Skeptical Hobbit Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Waging war on woo-woo in Winnipeg Posts: 5,733	It may be fashionable to rag on Perl, but it does have excellent performance. A while ago I was testing database scaling with GNU dbm and Berkeley dbm. I needed a large dataset and hit on the idea of using a number as the key (e.g. "123456789") and the number's words in English as the data (e.g. "one hundred twenty-three million, four hundred fifty-six thousand, seven hundred eighty-nine".) Such a dataset is by its very nature infinitely scalable. The algorithm I developed is pretty straightforward, and out of curiosity I ended up implementing it in several languages. Here are the results from tests I ran on my laptop (Intel Pentium 3825U, 1.90GHz), in thousands of records generated per second: Compiled C program (gcc -O3): 2,840 PHP 7: 403 mawk (a fast version of awk): 311 Perl: 287 Lua: 164 Ruby: 158 Java: 137 Python: 116 TCL: 68 Bash script: 6.4 The Perl program ran at more than twice the speed of the equivalent Python and Java programs. On more powerful hardware such as a Ryzen CPU, Java and Python fared better when compared with Perl, running at 79% and 68% (respectively) the speed of the Perl program.
	__________________ The social illusion reigns to-day upon all the heaped-up ruins of the past, and to it belongs the future. The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste, preferring to deify error, if error seduce them. Gustav Le Bon, The Crowd, 1895 (from the French) Canadian or living in Canada? PM me if you want an entry on the list of Canadians on the forum.

4th December 2019, 05:22 PM	#1602
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Location, Location Posts: 65,109	Originally Posted by Blue Mountain I understand. As a programmer my first impulse on hearing of any computer issue is to figure out how to write a solution for it. Shocking as it may seem to me, there actually are things in life more important than programming or learning how to program. Yeah, like I said, this task is ideal for automation, but it's not going to happen. Originally Posted by Wudang <gasps><clutches perl>
	__________________ Self-described nerd. My mom told me she tries never to make fun of people for not knowing something. - Randall Munroe

4th December 2019, 07:48 PM	#1603
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Location, Location Posts: 65,109	I was just asked by one of the management team to submit a request for an increase in my security clearance. Since this is a prerequisite for the position I've been going for, I think things are starting to look pretty good.
	__________________ Self-described nerd. My mom told me she tries never to make fun of people for not knowing something. - Randall Munroe

4th December 2019, 07:58 PM	#1604
Norman Alexander Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 6,682	Originally Posted by arthwollipot I was just asked by one of the management team to submit a request for an increase in my security clearance. Since this is a prerequisite for the position I've been going for, I think things are starting to look pretty good. By George, I think you've got it!
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

4th December 2019, 07:59 PM	#1605
Norman Alexander Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 6,682	Then again, there's this rather ominous sounding development: https://www.theguardian.com/australi...ervice-changes Quote: Prime minister Scott Morrison has announced a major shake-up of the public service that will see four departments abolished, five secretaries sacked, and responsibility for emissions reductions removed from the department of environment. Under the changes outlined by Morrison on Thursday, 18 government departments will be reduced to 14, with the prime minister saying the move would see “better services on the ground”. He said the changes were not a savings measure, and there were no job losses expected. There will also be no changes to the ministry.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

4th December 2019, 08:03 PM	#1606
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Location, Location Posts: 65,109	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander Then again, there's this rather ominous sounding development: https://www.theguardian.com/australi...ervice-changes That's not likely to impact me much. We've already had the obligatory stand-up meeting about it. Essentially our two largest clients are going to merge and become one super-client.
	__________________ Self-described nerd. My mom told me she tries never to make fun of people for not knowing something. - Randall Munroe

4th December 2019, 09:08 PM	#1607
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Location, Location Posts: 65,109	Well that was an unusual call. Here is a near-exact transcript: Hello, Service Desk, how can I help? Everything is working, nothing is going wrong, and you're all doing a great job. Uh... thanks. Bye! click
	__________________ Self-described nerd. My mom told me she tries never to make fun of people for not knowing something. - Randall Munroe

4th December 2019, 10:01 PM	#1608
Norman Alexander Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 6,682	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Well that was an unusual call. Here is a near-exact transcript: Hello, Service Desk, how can I help? Everything is working, nothing is going wrong, and you're all doing a great job. Uh... thanks. Bye! click I got through to you!
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

4th December 2019, 10:49 PM	#1609
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Location, Location Posts: 65,109	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander I got through to you! Not unless you're secretly an attractive blonde lady you didn't.
	__________________ Self-described nerd. My mom told me she tries never to make fun of people for not knowing something. - Randall Munroe

5th December 2019, 12:49 AM	#1610
erlando Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,630	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Well that was an unusual call. Here is a near-exact transcript: Hello, Service Desk, how can I help? Everything is working, nothing is going wrong, and you're all doing a great job. Uh... thanks. Bye! click That's a phenomenon called "appreciation". It's very rarely found in the wild. You should consider yourself lucky to have observed it first hand.
erlando Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,630	__________________ "If it can grow, it can evolve" - Eugenie Scott, Ph.D Creationism disproved? Evolution IS a blind watchmaker

5th December 2019, 01:24 AM	#1611
Tolls Illuminator Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,928	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Not unless you're secretly an attractive blonde lady you didn't. Clearly Norman's talents know no bounds!
Tolls Illuminator Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,928

5th December 2019, 02:01 AM	#1612
Norman Alexander Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 6,682	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Not unless you're secretly an attractive blonde lady you didn't. You have no idea how secret I am! The rest...nah.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

5th December 2019, 02:02 AM	#1613
Norman Alexander Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 6,682	Originally Posted by Tolls Clearly Norman's talents know no bounds! Since I have none, bounds are of no consequence.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

5th December 2019, 02:50 PM	#1614
Faydra sinning sybarite Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 6,830	Originally Posted by Wudang <gasps><clutches perl> If there were a pith award for nerds, you would so win with this one.
Faydra sinning sybarite Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 6,830

5th December 2019, 02:53 PM	#1615
Faydra sinning sybarite Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 6,830	I'm super happy - I've been in this same role at my company since 2006. (with a brief interruption around 2014, but that's a whole 'nuther story). I'm good at it, and there is only a very small subset of people in the country that do what I do. It's why they love me. Anyway, they asked me to learn this other thing! New Things! Shiny objects! So, I've been having a blast the last two days playing around with the new thing. I'm in fake it until you make it mode. Wonder what this button does? <click> Whee!
Faydra sinning sybarite Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 6,830

5th December 2019, 09:32 PM	#1616
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Location, Location Posts: 65,109	Originally Posted by erlando That's a phenomenon called "appreciation". It's very rarely found in the wild. You should consider yourself lucky to have observed it first hand. I did lodge a feedback incident about it. They've got me almost entirely on Service Requests now. That's the boring, repetitive stuff, but in terms of career positioning it's where I want to be.
	__________________ Self-described nerd. My mom told me she tries never to make fun of people for not knowing something. - Randall Munroe

6th December 2019, 01:30 AM	#1617
erlando Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,630	Originally Posted by Faydra Wonder what this button does? <click> Otherwhere in the building someone is going insane because the lights keep turning off...
erlando Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,630	__________________ "If it can grow, it can evolve" - Eugenie Scott, Ph.D Creationism disproved? Evolution IS a blind watchmaker

6th December 2019, 11:45 AM	#1618
Darat Lackey Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: South East, UK Posts: 89,201	Originally Posted by erlando That's a phenomenon called "appreciation". It's very rarely found in the wild. You should consider yourself lucky to have observed it first hand. Anecdotes don't make evidence. I am sure there is a rational explanation for arthwolipot's claim, he was probably on drugs or had a crossed line on the phone. You claiming it had to be a supernatural act before all the rational reasons are exhausted is not very sceptical. I know people have made claims of "appreciation" in the IT support profession for decades but we are yet to see one single iota of solid evidence it actually happens.
	__________________ I wish I knew how to quit you

6th December 2019, 02:42 PM	#1619
Trebuchet Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Great Northwet Posts: 24,427	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Well that was an unusual call. Here is a near-exact transcript: Hello, Service Desk, how can I help? Everything is working, nothing is going wrong, and you're all doing a great job. Uh... thanks. Bye! click You gave your mom your work number?
	__________________ Cum catapultae proscribeantur tum soli proscripti catapultas habeant.

6th December 2019, 04:47 PM	#1620
Wudang BOFH Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: People's Republic of South Yorkshire Posts: 12,245	Originally Posted by Darat Anecdotes don't make evidence. I am sure there is a rational explanation for arthwolipot's claim, he was probably on drugs or had a crossed line on the phone. You claiming it had to be a supernatural act before all the rational reasons are exhausted is not very sceptical. I know people have made claims of "appreciation" in the IT support profession for decades but we are yet to see one single iota of solid evidence it actually happens. It’s usually a case of HR reflecting swamp gas from the need to pay techies the going rate.
	__________________ "Your deepest pools, like your deepest politicians and philosophers, often turn out more shallow than expected." Walter Scott.

7th December 2019, 01:01 AM	#1621
quadraginta Becoming Beth Join Date: May 2009 Location: Central Vale of Humility Posts: 24,511	Originally Posted by Wudang It’s usually a case of HR reflecting swamp gas from the need to pay techies the going rate. I suppose 'swamp' gas could be one name for it. If it's coming from HR that would be a polite way to describe it.
	__________________ "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep." "Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation."

10th December 2019, 09:48 PM	#1622
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Location, Location Posts: 65,109	Okay friends, I know you've been as much on the edge of your seats about this as I have been on mine. I heard back about the interview. My interview was successful. But. There's always a but. This but is but there are more successful applicants than there are positions to fill. So I don't have the position. However, it is still a win for me, because I am now on a merit list for 12 months. During this time I can be offered any APS4-level position in Tech Services without an application or an interview. I would of course like a position here in the Service Desk because it's what I know and enjoy, but if I can get a permanency in another team, you bet I'll take it. Furthermore, we are about to go through a massive MoG (Machinery of Government) shakeup because of this, so who knows what positions at this level may open up in a couple of months? So for now, I'm not in the position I wanted but I'm not disappointed because I know that I am good enough for it. And yeah, I'll be subtly hinting to the existing 4s here to think about advancing their careers too.
	__________________ Self-described nerd. My mom told me she tries never to make fun of people for not knowing something. - Randall Munroe

11th December 2019, 06:48 AM	#1623
TragicMonkey Poisoned Waffles September TLA & Pither Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Monkey Posts: 53,065	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Okay friends, I know you've been as much on the edge of your seats about this as I have been on mine. I heard back about the interview. My interview was successful. But. There's always a but. This but is but there are more successful applicants than there are positions to fill. So I don't have the position. However, it is still a win for me, because I am now on a merit list for 12 months. During this time I can be offered any APS4-level position in Tech Services without an application or an interview. I would of course like a position here in the Service Desk because it's what I know and enjoy, but if I can get a permanency in another team, you bet I'll take it. Furthermore, we are about to go through a massive MoG (Machinery of Government) shakeup because of this, so who knows what positions at this level may open up in a couple of months? So for now, I'm not in the position I wanted but I'm not disappointed because I know that I am good enough for it. And yeah, I'll be subtly hinting to the existing 4s here to think about advancing their careers too. If there are no openings the logical course is to make some. Does this workplace have shared coffee pots? The second statement is unrelated to the first, and neither are related to the ubiquity of toxic plant life globally and in your region particularly. I'm certainly not suggesting the course of action you're thinking of, wink wink.
	__________________ You added nothing to that conversation, Barbara.

11th December 2019, 06:58 AM	#1624
Hellbound Merchant of Doom Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Not in Hell, but I can see it from here on a clear day... Posts: 14,087	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Okay friends, I know you've been as much on the edge of your seats about this as I have been on mine. I heard back about the interview. My interview was successful. But. There's always a but. This but is but there are more successful applicants than there are positions to fill. So I don't have the position. However, it is still a win for me, because I am now on a merit list for 12 months. During this time I can be offered any APS4-level position in Tech Services without an application or an interview. I would of course like a position here in the Service Desk because it's what I know and enjoy, but if I can get a permanency in another team, you bet I'll take it. Furthermore, we are about to go through a massive MoG (Machinery of Government) shakeup because of this, so who knows what positions at this level may open up in a couple of months? So for now, I'm not in the position I wanted but I'm not disappointed because I know that I am good enough for it. And yeah, I'll be subtly hinting to the existing 4s here to think about advancing their careers too. While not perhaps the best possible result, it still sounds like you've gotten yourself into a good position, Congrats! I'm a bit excited to be moving to a new job soon, myself . Originally Posted by TragicMonkey If there are no openings the logical course is to make some. Does this workplace have shared coffee pots? The second statement is unrelated to the first, and neither are related to the ubiquity of toxic plant life globally and in your region particularly. I'm certainly not suggesting the course of action you're thinking of, wink wink. From the mouths of babes...
	__________________ History does not always repeat itself. Sometimes it just yells "Can't you remember anything I told you?" and lets fly with a club. - John w. Campbell

13th December 2019, 07:41 AM	#1625
Orphia Nay Penguilicious Spodmaster. Tagger Photo Contest Winner Join Date: May 2005 Location: Ponylandistan Presidential Palace (above the Spods' stables). Posts: 37,225	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Okay friends, I know you've been as much on the edge of your seats about this as I have been on mine. I heard back about the interview. My interview was successful. But. There's always a but. This but is but there are more successful applicants than there are positions to fill. So I don't have the position. However, it is still a win for me, because I am now on a merit list for 12 months. During this time I can be offered any APS4-level position in Tech Services without an application or an interview. I would of course like a position here in the Service Desk because it's what I know and enjoy, but if I can get a permanency in another team, you bet I'll take it. Furthermore, we are about to go through a massive MoG (Machinery of Government) shakeup because of this, so who knows what positions at this level may open up in a couple of months? So for now, I'm not in the position I wanted but I'm not disappointed because I know that I am good enough for it. And yeah, I'll be subtly hinting to the existing 4s here to think about advancing their careers too. They might phase up instead of you 4s bootstrapping. Sort of thing. No-one to be left behind. (You probably helped users too.) Well done for going for it.
	__________________ "We stigmatize and send to the margins people who trigger in us the feelings we want to avoid" - Melinda Gates, "The Moment of Lift".

13th December 2019, 07:43 AM	#1626
Orphia Nay Penguilicious Spodmaster. Tagger Photo Contest Winner Join Date: May 2005 Location: Ponylandistan Presidential Palace (above the Spods' stables). Posts: 37,225	#6670 Discord Anyone else here on there?
	__________________ "We stigmatize and send to the margins people who trigger in us the feelings we want to avoid" - Melinda Gates, "The Moment of Lift".

13th December 2019, 05:51 PM	#1627
novaphile Quester of Doglets Moderator Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 2,167	Originally Posted by Orphia Nay #6670 Discord Anyone else here on there? Yes. novaphile#4707 I don't think your ID is sufficient for people to find you there. User name is required too.
	__________________ We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato.

14th December 2019, 01:16 AM	#1628
Orphia Nay Penguilicious Spodmaster. Tagger Photo Contest Winner Join Date: May 2005 Location: Ponylandistan Presidential Palace (above the Spods' stables). Posts: 37,225	Orphia#6670
	__________________ "We stigmatize and send to the margins people who trigger in us the feelings we want to avoid" - Melinda Gates, "The Moment of Lift".

14th December 2019, 02:43 PM	#1629
Mongrel Begging for Scraps Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: 20 minutes in the future Posts: 1,966	Naaman#0021
	__________________ “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.” - Charles Darwin ...like so many contemporary philosophers he especially enjoyed giving helpful advice to people who were happier than he was. - Tom Lehrer

8th January 2020, 02:16 PM	#1631
novaphile Quester of Doglets Moderator Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 2,167	Originally Posted by Faydra Yep Good grief, I had heard that Elmo had a substance abuse problem, but I had no idea it was that bad.
	__________________ We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato.

12th January 2020, 11:03 PM	#1632
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Location, Location Posts: 65,109	I have news! Starting next week I'll be moving fully over on to Service Requests. From there they have a non-ongoing APS3 position to put me into, though we are on a recruitment pause right now because MoG. One of the TLs though - a 4 - is moving on to an APS5 position in Desktop Support in February, so that's going to open up a vacancy, and that is an ongoing position. Things are definitely Looking Up.
	__________________ Self-described nerd. My mom told me she tries never to make fun of people for not knowing something. - Randall Munroe

13th January 2020, 12:14 AM	#1633
Wudang BOFH Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: People's Republic of South Yorkshire Posts: 12,245	Awesome. Congratulations.
	__________________ "Your deepest pools, like your deepest politicians and philosophers, often turn out more shallow than expected." Walter Scott.

13th January 2020, 03:06 PM	#1634
novaphile Quester of Doglets Moderator Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 2,167
	__________________ We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato.

13th January 2020, 05:05 PM	#1635
Norman Alexander Philosopher Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 6,682	Originally Posted by arthwollipot I have news! Starting next week I'll be moving fully over on to Service Requests. From there they have a non-ongoing APS3 position to put me into, though we are on a recruitment pause right now because MoG. One of the TLs though - a 4 - is moving on to an APS5 position in Desktop Support in February, so that's going to open up a vacancy, and that is an ongoing position. Things are definitely Looking Up. Enjoy the extra responsibility and the moolah that goes with it.
	__________________ _{...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015}

13th January 2020, 05:56 PM	#1636
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Location, Location Posts: 65,109	Originally Posted by Norman Alexander Enjoy the extra responsibility and the moolah that goes with it. I'm definitely looking forward to enjoying the moolah. But even more, paid sick leave and flextime. I now have an administrator account and I have submitted my application for an increase to my security clearance.
	__________________ Self-described nerd. My mom told me she tries never to make fun of people for not knowing something. - Randall Munroe