Happy New Year!

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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, it’s a bit like being a digital Hansel and Gretel in the vast forest of configuration files.

3. NEVER mirror the user's mistreatment...

We’re the gardeners of IT, nurturing digital tulips and tending the system’s roots – even when users accidentally, or enthusiastically, trample over them.

4. NEVER underestimate the mystical "turn it off and on again" incantation...

This ancient spell has saved more hardware than anyone wants to admit. IT’s answer to “abracadabra” – and yes, it usually works.

5. ALWAYS blame the network...

Blaming the network is like blaming the rain for a washed-out picnic. It’s a classic deflection, and no one questions it – especially when the network really is the culprit (most of the time).

6. NEVER forget the cloud is merely a digital storage unit for your servers...

It can be a high-end boutique or as unpredictable as a shed on an industrial estate. Remember, it’s still someone else’s hardware, tucked away beyond your reach.

7. NEVER forget to summon a higher power – behold, the nearby coffee shop – when despair takes over...

Espresso spells, latte incantations… every cup is an elixir to carry you through.

8. NEVER forget, debugging is like being a tech detective...

Your magnifying glass (or, rather, terminal) is your trusty sidekick as you hunt down those elusive glitches, looking for the smoking gun only another ops pro would even notice.

9. NEVER forget the IT realm is like a support group for glitches...

It’s where we meet, discuss, and commiserate over tales of tech that decided to go wrong all at once. There’s solidarity in shared digital chaos.

10. ALWAYS wield MS Paint for intricate explanations...

Sometimes, a simple diagram is all you need. And with MS Paint, even the most complex network architecture can become clear.

Here’s to another year of learning, adapting, and experimenting. Like every year before it, 2025 will bring its share of surprises, stubborn bugs, and those beautiful “Aha!” moments. The iterative cycle will continue, and while we might not be developers, we’re all crafting the future of IT in our own way, one solution at a time.

Let’s step into 2025 with this set of rules, a spirit of experimentation, and maybe a little touch of that Star Trek optimism. And remember: we might just make a dent in the vast unknown of tech challenges if we stick together – and keep the coffee flowing. Cheers to a brilliant new year!

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