Test Lab Notebook

Happy New Year! As we start 2025 , it’s time for a nod to all of us in IT and Ops who keep the digital wheels turning, day in and day out. Whether you’re a lone ranger troubleshooting mysteries in the middle of the night or part of a bustling team that tackles issues with efficiency and the occasional eye roll, there are a few eternal truths we carry forward. These aren’t just rules – they’re survival tactics, learned the hard way and honed over countless hours in the trenches of troubleshooting. To mark the new year, here are my 10 Rules of IT , distilled from experience and ready to face another year of tech challenges. 1. ALWAYS cover your own arse... When things hit the fan, you’d rather be safely tucked away in a blanket of plausible deniability or armed with the right documentation. Make it bulletproof. 2. ALWAYS ensure you can get back to where you started... Leaving a trail of digital breadcrumbs is essential, especially when navigating a maze of new changes. After all...

More to life than IT on the eve of Trump arriving at the white house the situation in Ukraine is scary For those whose understanding of history comes from war films, it’s important to recognize that Europe has been a continent of continuous conflict, shifting borders, and shattered empires for over 110 years. The collapse of empires after World War I left a volatile vacuum, creating the conditions for instability and aggression that would continue for decades. Do we really want to return to a world of imperialism, authoritarianism, and the subjugation of smaller nations at the hands of the powerful? The story of the 20th century begins with the devastating effects of World War I. The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman empires created new borders and reshaped nations, but left behind unresolved conflicts and growing nationalist tensions. The aftermath of the war was supposed to bring peace, but instead, it set the stage for the next catastrophe. In 1938, the Munich P...