I decided on the title for this one yesterday, while swamped with work and inundated with mouthbreather idiocy. I’ve since had a chance to cool off, but lets see if i can get my point across, shall we?

So i called it, Agitated – Redux.

The point I’m trying to get across in only two words is that to me, nothing has really changed.

I mean – everything has changed, I’m no longer writing this at 5am in the dark at home after not sleeping and drowning my sorrows in fine liquor. I’m writing this from my desk at 7:30am in a nice warm office, with my extra-espresso-laden long black sitting beside me like a faithful companion, waiting to be assaulted by the inevitable stupidity that results when people are exposed to technology.

Don’t get me wrong, i don’t blame them.

Technology is hard for most people, computers are based on logic (well, based on the combined unmatched logic of hundreds of software developers – inherently illogical, but i digress) which is very much as foreign in people as common sense (which should be a fucking superpower it’s so rare)

I do my best to explain it in simple terms, use lots of analogies, and be very forgiving – it’s not their job to know these things. Yesterday i explained TCP/IP in terms of a highway. I thought it was a masterpiece.

What i do blame is idiot IT staff.

I’ve worked with many throughout my career, and there’s one type in particular – They’re your stereotypical high school repressed nerd, who’s out to lord his knowledge over anyone he can to get back at them for calling him NERDLINGER in school. Examples such as throwing technical terms at people, making excuses for not doing their work that sound plausible to an outsider as they have no knowledge of technical procedure, but are really thinly veiled lies, and worst of all – bad customer service.

Now, I’m an evil cynical bastard at the best of times, but let me spell it out for all you would-be IT department overlords.

Your job is to make sure the rest of the organization can do their fucking job.

It is not their prerogative to fit in around your schedule. It’s their right and duty to perform their assigned tasks to ensure the company remains profitable, and it’s your duty to ensure that no technical issue is standing in their way. I don’t care if you have to bend over backwards or break rules, it’s your job.

…

All of this being said, there’s another IT department fault.

The yesmen.

“yeah we can do that”, “yeah we can fix that”, “yeah just bring your home computer in I’ll look at it”, “oh you wanna watch porn at work? no worries, we’ll sort it for you”

There needs to be rules. Some IT departments start with the best of intentions and end up trying to support everything under the sun. Eventually this falls down around them, and if you’ve ever worked in a corporate environment you’ve probably seen examples of this behavior. Your IT staff seem pushed to the edge, they have no spare time, and any requests for procurement are met either with outright denial or heavy handed delays for “evaluating technical requirements”

—-

So essentially, I’m frustrated with my job.

At least, that’s one aspect of it.

Although I’m quite gainfully employed, it’s very much in a position I’ve outgrown.

The “network support team” who i apparently report to is constantly coming to me with questions and requests for assistance, yet I’m not even delegated the administrative privileges to fix their issue.

Aside from the professional aspect, there’s the commuting. Matt’s daily routine:

0530 – Wake up, shower, breakfast if there’s time

0630 – Get on the bus in Maroochydore

0715 – Get off the bus in Caloundra

0720 – Coffee. ’nuff said.

0730 – Sit down at my desk. Commence idiocy.

1630 – Leave work, breath sigh of relief

1650 – Get on the bus in Caloundra

1755 – Get off the bus in Maroochydore

1800 – Get on the bus in Maroochydore

1900 – Get off the bus in Buderim

2200 – Go to bed.

REPEAT

That leaves me.. three hours a day with myself, in which i have numerous other things to be doing, and that’s assuming i don’t work late that day, which 3/5 days a week i end up doing.

Add to that the fact that at home I’m enduring family i particularly dislike, as well as the occupational frustration and you have a cocktail for Matt turning to drink. Even moreso than usual.

At least one little light on the horizon is the fact that my tickets are going for $660 instead of the predicted $1800. I imagine $660 doesn’t include tax, but still – dirt cheap.

New projected target cash for moving:

$2150

Assuming tickets will total out at $1000

Still no closer on my visa, but i have the means to apply for it now at least.

This post really served no purpose. Sorry guys =D

- Matt