OK, then the 046102 047111 005113 header.

How do we know that browser developers developed the OS, rather than newly-hired/volunteered OS developers?

Having been both a programmer and a janitor, I can say that cleaning toilets isn't that bad of a job, and vacuuming floors is a lot nicer of a gig that a lot of jobs in that wage bracket.

Simple reason: no PHBs. You might get someone who cracks the whip harder and harder, but that's much easier to deal with than the idiocy that PHBs in tech make you suffer through. Janitor bosses are usually idiots, but they don't think they're geniuses. As long as you show up on time and not drunk or stoned, and nobody on your run ever complains, they leave you alone. Hell, when nobody complains, they may let the stoned bit slide.

I can also think of some chronic pain scenarios where this might be a viable option.

Correction - just saw it again. Something weird billowed out of the engines at 0:18 or so

I watched the video first and focused on the plumes. To my untrained eye, I didn't see any sputters or anything from the engine....

Survey says......69!

Question to ask the telemarketer: "Is this really what you wanted to be when you grew up?"

Can this Mr. Jesus help me get to California?

"Level of trust"? Is that anything like John Glenn's quip about sitting on top of two million parts, all built by the lowest bidder?

Sorry to hear that bubba. I have enjoyed your posts for a while now. Just said a prayer for her and your family that she either passes quickly/peacefully or gets better ASAP. Having gone through my Mother's sickness/death, I feel for you. Take care of yourself as well as your Mom/Family.

*Nix AND Mac joke all rolled into one? Someone give this Coward a cigar and positive mods!

So was my grandfather. He became an optician by answering an ad in the paper: "Opticians wanted. No experience necessary; will train."

Compare that to a typical job requisition today. It's kind of the inverse of CV padding. The list of must-haves is so long that no five mortals or two gods could meet them all.

"Quiet cubicle"? I have never experienced this phenomenon.

Show me where I said that sysadmins were the only one this happens to.

Please don't confuse system administration with staffing a helpdesk.

Just because you don't like dealing with unreasonable jerks doesn't make you unfit for a job where you occasionally have to deal with unreasonable jerks.

And for all of you following this thread: For every one of the incidents I mentioned originally, there were hundreds where users' problems were solved without incident, where infrastructure problems were solved without the users even knowing it, and where everybody involved said "please" and "thank you". For every 4:30pm Friday (non)emergency, there were hundreds of cases where people asked well in advance for things they knew it would take a lot of effort to provide. For every person who filed a ticket saying nothing but "I have a problem--call", there were hundreds that spelled out their requests in enough detail that the only thing I had to say back to them is, "It's done."

Especially gratifying were the times I announced a new capability, and had people ask how I knew they were going to be needing it.

Don't make this about me, personally. If you think from what you've read here that I'm a lousy sysadmin, or horrible to work with, don't hire me. But it's not just me. Every one of us has to deal with sysadmins, administrative assistants, procurement departments, IT desktop support people, our own bosses, and all the other people out there whom we ask for things in order to get our jobs done.

Ask nicely.