Yeah, I guess I'm old. I've worked in the information technology (IT) industry since 1997, which means I've been at it for more than 20 years. It seems like only yesterday that I was a wet-behind-the-ears ...

In my experience as a systems administrator, I often run into colleagues who tend to either a) advocate strongly for Linux and opensource software, or b) rail stridently against it. ...

How do you define your job role in information technology (IT)? Are you in the role that brings you greatest happiness, or are you planning a move in that direction? Over the past months we've seen a gradual ...

In the 20-plus years since I entered the information technology (IT) industry, I have taken and passed more than 200 IT certification exams. Over the same period, I have helped tens of thousands of students to ...

For my money, the two "go-to" entry-level computer networking certifications are CompTIA Network+ and Cisco's Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT). Those credentials ...

For many men and women of any age, information technology (IT) support (also called help desk support, service desk support, desktop support, and so forth) represents a valid way to "get your foot in the door" ...

My daughter Zoey and I like discussing philosophical questions. One topic we both enjoy is the old chestnut "Is the ability to keep musical time (or sing, or play an instrument competently) a skill people are ...

One important truism I have learned in my 20 years of information technology (IT) professional experience is that knowledge hoarding decreases, not increases, job security. I never want to be ...

Historically, I've considered myself an "old school" database administrator (DBA). For me, database performance must be a second priority behind a tightly controlled schema that constrains data ...

If you get a lot of tech certs, then you may (or may not) have considered the following question. If certification is new to you, then it might have only crossed your mind in passing. Sooner or later, however ...