Some advice to aspiring IT professionals

I was recently interviewed by a young college student studying MIS. One of the questions he asked me was:

What advice do you have for someone entering the field?

I responded with probably more advice than he wished. I wish more people followed this advice, and I hope I follow it as often as I think I do.

Herewith:

• Always be open to new experiences.
• Be open-minded.
• Stay up with current industry trends, but develop wisdom to know when to not follow those trends.
• Wisdom comes from experience.
• Learn from your mistakes.
• Learn how to get along with people of all kinds.
• Realize that when you work in IT, you are a service provider; those you serve are your customers; your purpose is to meet their needs and make them happy, in that order.
• Pay attention to your customers.
• Realize that your customers don't always know what they need: your first responsibility is to help them determine what they really need, and your second is to meet that need.
• Respect your boss.
• Keep your boss informed, as he is responsible for your work.
• Loyalty to your boss and your company is important.
• Respect the law; always keep your work in the law.
• Respect your customers' privacy; don't abuse your elevated privileges.
• Be a trustworthy employee.
• Be punctual.
• Communicate clearly.
• Use good grammar.
• Communicate in a positive rather than a negative manner.
• Think about who you're communicating to; adjust your message to their level.

BTW, what is the difference between MIS and IT? I there really any difference anymore? I think so, but I don't think the answer is clear. I asked the student, and am eager to read the response.

ESV: A tremendous new study Bible

I received today my first copies of the long-awaited ESV Study Bible. I am blown away. I've been awaiting this Bible since I first found and fell in love with the English Standard Version translation when it was first released in 2001. The translation strikes an ideal balance between readability, eloquence, and a faithful literal translation. It's based on the best currently available ancient manuscripts.

As I've only had the study Bible for about an hour, I have much reading and evaluating to do, but my first impressions are quite positive. It's beautifully bound, both in the leather and hardcover editions. Both editions seem to be identical except for cover and gilding.

The study Bible is printed in full color throughout, with full color maps included with the text as well color plates in the back; it also has a tasteful light green highlight used where appropriate, including in table rows and section headers.

The complete study Bible is available online at no charge to all who purchase a printed edition; a code required for account creation is included with each Bible. It is a very well done online implementation.

I hope to post further thoughts as I read more, but at this point I'm quite impressed.

Catalina pictures posted

I took advantage of the situation -- comfy sofa, warm cat next to me, neglected laundry, quickly approaching Monday -- and went through the 253 pictures I took while in Catalina last month, choosing a few favorites. Enjoy.

Peggy Noonan sums up my feelings about the current political situation

In a column on wsj.com today titled Playing Frisbee on a Precipice and subtitled America's political class lacks the seriousness this moment demands, Peggy Noonan sums up nicely my feelings about the current political situation. Both candidates are speaking sound bites rather than addressing issues, and no one is forcing them to do otherwise.

The candidates are slinging mud at on another rather than trying to prove why they are the candidate with the better platform. The media, and the masses following them, are eating up all this mud-slinging and begging for more.

It's all terribly ugly, quite frustrating and rather depressing.

I can't wait for the election to be over, and for the nation to move on and deal with the issues in front of us.