• 1 Post
  • 24 Comments
Joined 2 years ago
Cake day: June 12th, 2023
  • Xaphanos@lemmy.worldtoComic Strips@lemmy.world•Just doin stuff
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    12 days ago

    Me, too.

    However I am finding it hard to get a job. I got laid off in September. Employers want a square peg for a square hole. “Cisco engineer”, for example. I know enough to get around Cisco, Fortigate and a few others. And project management. And servers. And a dozen other technologies. With 20+ years experience. But I don’t find anyone paying enough for someone with a diverse skill set.

  • Xaphanos@lemmy.worldtoAsklemmy@lemmy.ml•Ways to find out my family tree other than through ancestry.org type of sites?
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    2 months ago

    Well, some places found that scanning the originals and providing them online not only saved money storing them, but also improved access. For other places, it’s a matter of going to the town clerk (or equivalent), filling out some forms, and waiting - sometimes months.

    I’ve been doing genealogy for my family and friends for a few years. Can I ask what part of the world your ancestors lived in? I find there is almost always some online documentation for any given person (after 1800 or so - depending on the location), but finding it is a complex acquired skillset that can take quite a while to learn. It seems likely you have the opposite of beginners luck - aka a steep curve. Of course, some more rural parts of the world can lag in documentation, and language issues are always a problem. You may really have invisible ancestors. Without more info, it’s hard to give more advice.

    Also, there is a significant difference between paid and free accounts on Ancestry. FamilySearch can be hard to use. WikiTree has no research tools, but does have a large tree and a supportive user community. There are a lot of sites, some completely free, and some with tiered membership. Finally, a DNA test (not 23&Me) can be a huge boost to what you are able to find.

    Recently, I have been contemplating going pro and charging folks. If you are interested, I can look into yours for free, to see if (1) I’m good enough, and (2) I’m not just lucky in that I’ve only had easy challenges up to now. Assuming that this is a place where the documentation would be in English. So far my experience is US, Canada, UK, and some Italy. Drop me a PM. I work in financial IT - confidentiality has been critical my whole life.

  • Xaphanos@lemmy.worldtoAsklemmy@lemmy.ml•What is the worst IT setup you have seen at a company?
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    5 months ago

    My current job.

    Many SQL servers use scripts that run as domain administrator. With the password hard coded in.

    Several of the various servers are very old. W2K, 2003, 2008. SQL server, too.

    Several of the users run reports via rdp to the SQL server - logging in as domain admin.

    Codebase is a mashup of various dev tools: .net, asp, Java, etc.

    Fax server software vendor has been out of business for a decade. Server hardware is 20 years old. Telecom for fax is a channelized PRI carrying POTS - and multiport modem cards.

    About a 3rd of the ethernet runs in the office have failed.

    Office pcs are static IP. Boss says that’s more secure.

    We process money to/from the Fed.

  • Xaphanos@lemmy.worldtoAsklemmy@lemmy.ml•How did you meet the love of your life?
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    8 months ago

    I was a lazy jerk that just bombed out of the local college in record time. I figured I’d try photography trade school. She was a natural artist with no plan and picked the same trade school. We were in the same 6-month program. She specialized in lab work, I went into product photography. Class started October 1984. We had several family deaths, financial ruin, and other calamities - but supported each other through it all. Lived with family and in the car. Got my life on track in my 30s. Bought a house in 2000, married in 2004, kid in 2009. Now a boring but desperate suburbanite staring down the next downsizing wave and big medical bills.