Be honest, how many...?

Tech - two years

full time System Admin almost four.

I actually deal with many tech issuses too (being part system integrator etc..)

I alsodo technical writing for the tech support department (teaching techs how to solve problem..)

I have A+, MCSE, Solaris I+II, CNA.

I also have a degree in computer science and doing my masters now (will take forever with the amount of time I spend at work :) )

you can add to that "almost CLP" (certified lotus professional - I haven't taken the
test .. but took the course)

Good enough ?

and I'm just one of the guys - there are many people here who are professionals.

and even "semi-professionals" can offer great advise...

3 years of experience at work, about 10 years of interest. Certified, but I don't think it matters.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Marmie:
I am an MCSE and employed as a Network Administrator. I have had a lot of questions answered here and really think it's important to hear experience from every walk of life - no matter how qualified you are. No one starts out with all the answers.

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I too am MCSE and System Administrator. Just as nobody starts with all the answers, nobody finishes with all the answers. You can have 20 years experience (I do not), and still learn something from a newcomer.
I get alot of answers from this board, and try to help in kind when possible.

Rafi

:D

Quote:

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10 years in this game and NO QUALIFICATIONS of any kind. Does that really make a difference??????

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Sowolo, ten years and NO QUALIFICATIONS? I'd say ten years experience is a HUGE qualification! I wish my MCSE made me near that qualified! (only two years experience. 'course, they've been good years...) I love the whole certification game, but I hope no one confuses 'certified' with 'qualified.'

A+ working ft as an asst network admin

Quote:

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Originally posted by LanMan:
Sowolo, ten years and NO QUALIFICATIONS? I'd say ten years experience is a HUGE qualification! I wish my MCSE made me near that qualified! (only two years experience. 'course, they've been good years...) I love the whole certification game, but I hope no one confuses 'certified' with 'qualified.'

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It's Darren, actually not Sowulo :D :D :D :D :D

Been working tech support for 4 months now. Will be getting A+ cert soon but not cuz i need it its so the company has bragging rights. All my knowledge is either from dicking around in my spare time, surfin the net or from talking to friends and coworkers. I've also worked basic network support for the local U for a summer. But i think i learned the most by playing at home. And i see no stop to that in the forseeable future.

Probably I have no right to post here...I'm an engineer... :D
Graduated Politecnic University (in radio-electronics).
Then 6 years as designer/chief designer of computer electronics for Poligraph Mashinery
Plant.
2 years as computer technology teacher and network admin/tech...
and last 3 years as chief engineer for Computer service center and for my own computer educational firm (for Youth).
Took few Microsoft courses just for understanding what I have to learn more and more... ;)

Full time x3 - Network Admin/Site Manager and have a small consulting company while I go to school. 7 years experience and more than 15 different paper certs from all over - graduate degree from the U of OJT.

I'm an MCP, A+, and CCA certified tech all self taught. I work full time for a project management/consulting company. I am the IT department! :D

MCSE training
and many others

No actual certification except one HP Photocopying machine repair...Wooo!!

Everything else I learned on my own...Out of the box thinking most time :D

2 years schooling...(will graduate in July)...been teching for a little over a year now....I agree with Sowulo...full time? 60 hours+ has been the norm for me alot of the last year.... :rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally posted by PuterGeekGirl:
2 years schooling...(will graduate in July)...been teching for a little over a year now....I agree with Sowulo...full time? 60 hours+ has been the norm for me alot of the last year.... :rolleyes:

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60 hours wiil probably end up being the norm for the rest of your working life. Even if we had the luxury of working a 40 hour week, there's always family and friends that want you to fix their computer (after their neighborhood computer guru is done with it)and of course, we can't stand still in this profession so, during "downtime", we still need to keep on on the daily changes in technology...............the price we must pay for being children of the chip!

:p And I hang out on the river fishing and enjoying MGD. Computers make good anchors and poor tackle boxes. And whem I am bank fishing they make good seats. As far as I am concerned I never question as to whether people on windrivers are "Real Techs". I come here for information and to share what I know. What difference does it make? The fact that I make my living from solving user PC problems sure as hell does not make me an OBGYN.
:rolleyes:

I have one quarter to go on my AAS in Computer Networking and WIN 2000. I work for the school in their IS department (for 1 year now). Before that I was a Information Systems Security Officer for the U.S. Army. I worked for a German ISP for a year while I lived in Germany and I'm A+ certified. This summer I will go for my MCP. I don't think it will be too big of a problem. I'm going to try 2K Pro and 2K Server.

I too work as a Tech but most of my computer training is On the Job. I do have a Bachelors degree in Electronic Technology. ( BSEET). I have also learned a lot here. I don't know about the rest of you ( I didn't read all the posts ) but I am very busy and don't have time to take classes right now, maybe some day but not now. Also like I said most of what I know is from doing so if I haven't had to do it I probably don't know about it. I feel it's far better swallow any pride I have and ask the experts here the stupid questions rather than make a stupid mistake.

My two cents.

As far as helping, I think I've helped a few people and unless I know what I'm talking about or the person isn't getting any responces I leave it to the more experienced guys.

GLSmith
BSEET

I've been coming to Windrivers for two or three years now I think and just "discovered" the forums the other day. It's been a real God-send for finding drivers and companies obscure support pages.

I realized as soon as I read one or two posts that the people answering posts most definitely have a clue. And it's nice that others will back them up or point out conceptual errors. It makes for a nice community.

So to answer the question "How many techs are there in here anyway?" My answer is: "Does it matter?"

BTW. 6 years in Navy with no computers (Reactor Operator)
4+ years working as computer tech
3+ years being A+ Certified... I didn't notice any leap in ability after the cert though.

Associated degree, no certs. Working helpdesk and going insane. If I have to deal with these morons on a daily basis I better be considered a tech or somebody gonna die!!!

I'm a Provincial Government Tech. Workin on a Computer Science degree. Been doing it for years, no Certs though. My experience so far has been that just about every question asked gets answered, so there are enough real techs around for my liking ;)

I'm in training...just at the end of my A+ class, going to take the exam in a couple of weeks

I am new to this forum but have been a tech for over 17 years

Hey I'm a Toshiba Authorized Tek baby! doesn't that count for something??

I have completed the lame *** M$ courses and got my MCP, but decided not to pursue it further because I would have gotten certified and then had to RE-certify after spending lots of cash I did not have when they retired a test... i hate that. I have my A+, but what does that mean? I have known guys who took the a+ 10 years ago and have no idea what they are talking about. I have been messing around building my own computers for about 14 years. I was a "professional" tech for a few years and then went all corporate and stuff. I am now a Sr Systems Specialist doing some network admin stuff, some implementations stuff, and too much client services stuff.

users are my pals... *KOFKOF*BULLS**T*KOFKOF*

:D

I have been using computers since I was 6 years old, ran a modem based BBS for a number of years (before Internet was what it is now), have been working as a tech in one form or another for about 10 years. I am currently employed full time as a computer technician, and will be going to school in September as a Telecommunications Technoligist. I have built, troubleshot and sold computers for a while now.

Am I qualified? Hell no. :D

Long time reader first time poster..

Been working in the tech business for about 2years..

Actually been messing with computers since I was 8 (first few years was more breaking than fixing)

-Aric

There was a similar post a little while back and it seemed that a large portion of the posts were employed techs. I'd guess that at least 50% of the people that post are paid techs.

I think these are the best forums on the web.

Anyway, I'm a real tech at a independant computer store.

Quote:

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Originally posted by reboot:
[B]Just how many of the posts in this forum are actually posted by working/qualified techs?

I'd guess less than 10%.
[B]

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I am one of the many A+ certified techs. I am not working as a pc tech but that is just due to the fact that 95% of the pc tech jobs around here pay too little. I worked as a pc tech for three months. The reason it was so short, I had to chose between a pc tech job that paid so little I would be living in a cardboard box or do I get something that pays better. ;) :D :eek:

Reboot, please give a few examples of questions that are easy, you said less than 10% are techs, well that means that 90% of the questions are easy, I see over 10% of questions either not answered or not answered with correct answer. Please think before you post Reboot. Thanks in Advance

I'm an mcse, a+ and work in IS for the county of NEVADA, CA. I also work after hours supporting a medical clinic in the woods. I average 70 hours a week. I guess you could call me a professional.....

I don't have any type of certification or training mainly because im 17 and don't have the time or money to take other classes.

I swear we already went over this one, but I'll give it a go again...
I have an A.A.S. degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, working on a B.S. degree in Computer Engineering Technology/Computer Science. I was a full fledged "Computer Tech" for about a year or two where I worked for a small company named Valtec. I also taught Computer Aided Drafting, Digital Electronics & Electronics 1, as well as TAing in Computers for Beginners. I tutored Electricity 1 & 2, Electronics 1 & 2, & Digital Electronics. Currently I am a zSeries Server Test Technician at IBM...I hope that qualifies me :)

It is amazing how many of us started as Elec Techs. and migrated to Puters (call, bench, etc)

As for me...
A+, and over five years serious exp.

I started working with computers when Apple had the 6~8 green screens that were PART of the computer. We used 5.25 floppies and audio cassette to store data on.

4 years in the retail trenches. Some uni, mostly work experience.

A tech since Zenith & Zdos -- Kapro &
CPM. God ---- those were the days. :D

2 years as Netadmin/helpdesk/hardware repair & upgrade/cable puller/etc. And Im a certified aZZ. Hope that qualifies.

I work for a large contracting company. My boss handles pretty much anything involving the network (he's novell certified) and I handle pretty much everything else. I'm self tought and learn a lot each day. I'm also a full time student working toward my Computer Science or Computer Engineering degree. (Havn't decided yet) This is in addittion to the 40 hours a week I put in at work.

Quote:

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Originally posted by reboot:
Just how many of the posts in this forum are actually posted by working/qualified techs?

I'd guess less than 10%.

Some of the questions are so basic, even a raw A+ dropout could answer them.
Some of them are so advanced, most MCSE's probably can't answer...

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Self taught, A&M certified,A+ certified,12 years personal experience, 2years as a pc tech, 1 year network tech, and ow assistant network admin do i count as a tech???
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

1 year technical college diploma, A+ and IBM Thinkpad Certifications, 3 years self employed, 2 years tech support.

Not even close to some of the "Gods" in this forum, but I'll do my bit!

Full time Computer Technician in our hardware department/software support/network administrator/programmer/furniture mover/and whatever else gets dumped in my lap from the others that can't hack it!

:D

I think in terms of the OSI model.

Does that make me qualified to be here?

Nah. It makes me in need of a good Shrink.

*lin*

I WORK PART TIME IN A FLORIST SHOP..DOES THAT COUNT? JUST KIDDING.. A+ ONLY