What are you now called, and what kind of work is it that you exactly do?[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column]
Philip with some Varronettes when he visited Los Baños, Laguna in early 2007. From left: Melinda ‘Melin’ dela Peña-Bandalaria (FQS ’78), Flora ‘Pola’ Credo-de Guzman (Interaksyon ’75), Cristina ‘Cristy’ Madamba-Bajet (Octopus ’73), Filomena ‘Meklay’ Credo-Sta. Cruz (Repertory ’76), Marilyn ‘Len’ Palma-Monserrat (FQS ’78), Florencia ‘Aga’ Gonzaga-Palis (Humane Batch ’74).
I am a network engineer but I’ve been called a lot of things (not necessarily flattering and printable) by people whose networks had gone down! (even though we did not set them up and the mess is not our making). I went back to school for network engineering (the physical end of networks – such as routers, switches, firewalls), but the most common daily problems are in network server administration, such as slow or no email access, lost files, inaccessible shared files, printer problems, frozen computers, etc. I cater to small businesses and in network troubleshooting the biggest problems are right outside the computers and networks – it’s the users! They surf the Internet endlessly and are generally not secure or are very vulnerable to what we call script kiddies, identity hijackers, and other baddies from the virtual world.
You should learn a thing or two from the most longevous network engineers in the Philippines. Their networks are so indestructible, and the biggest problem, at least for the government, are also right outside the networks – the users themselves. Their technical name is “jueteng lords.”
They are still around huh?
What is your typical day as an IT professional?
I work as a consultant, so there’s no typical day. Generally when we are called it’s to troubleshoot a downed network or unresponsive computer on a non-responsive user. We do provide general services as in setting up regular data backup, checking security settings, securing wireless access, optimizing network traffic and operating systems, etc. Otherwise we just surf the web mostly, reading technical stuff and re-connecting with fellow geeks, and waiting for networks to go down. Yeah – they generally ignore us when everything is working hunky-dory. When all else fails, check the power-on switch. Or in geek terms – Give it the three-fingered salute (Ctrl-Alt-Delete)
Can the kind of work you do, or at least part of it, be outsourced to developing countries to generate jobs? Americans now call Filipinos to guide them with such simple stuff as sequenced power-cycling of their system, and we don’t have sing-song accents like you know who.
There are seven layers to troubleshooting a network – on the lower 3 layers you almost physically have to be able to access the system. The upper 4 layers (especially the applications or softwares) can be outsourced – either for development or testing or troubleshooting. That’s where outsourcing can come in, since writing those codes and softwares, and going through the layers of troubleshooting, all call for mental skills or exertion. Hardware research or development is a cost-prohibitive venture – whether it be the chips, routers, firewalls, etc. (which are often proprietary). Call centers are prevalent outside of the US because of affordable labor, and since Americans (or as my Latin American colleagues pointed out – North Americans) are the most pervasive users of computer technology those who can speak their language will have a better shot at it. While not a sole reason to learn English or promote it – English has actually become the lingua franca of the world, the one neutral language that the majority of the developed economies use. It is not a colonizing tool as some people my purport. When I travel outside the US with my Dutch, or Spanish, or Italian, or French colleagues English is the de-facto common bond.
How can your field of work contribute to efforts to bring about world peace?
Hey – we can split the software development and call centers equally to all the merging economies of the world, resulting to redistributed wealth and thereby world peace. Simply put! Realistically if we can distribute and make available inexpensive computers to all household in the world, increase communications between cultures and understanding throughout the world then the world would be a more peaceful place to live.
alleviate poverty?
See preceding answer. Additionally use computers to educate, not entertain. American kids in general belong to the latter, and end up adept to twitching, reflexive actions of their motor senses, but have absolutely minimally developed analytical skills. Elementary school teachers these days have a tough job teaching, as they have to compete with the limited attention span of kids so used to video games, computers and television. Some teachers are reduced to just using Powerpoint presentations to “enhance” their teaching, which obviously is not working since American kids rank near the bottom on general standard skills tests. In developing economies throughout the world education is still the main exit door out of poverty.
combat pre-mature baldness?
Sorry but hardware and software use can in reality, hasten or worsen premature baldness (it’s also called stress, especially when you cannot access your email or the internet is down and you cannot watch Youtube videos!). As for the genetics side of it – blame your maternal grandfather for passing it on to you, then get a hair transplant to get even! My Lolo must be spinning in his grave, bless his soul.
Last Updated on April 11, 2021 by Tudla_Admin
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