It seems like every day there is some announcement about some new iconic technology that is going to revolutionize how we work (kinda, sorta, maybe, or not really). Hurray everyone, its Office 2010, Google OS, Bing, etc. However, at the end of the day, what does this all really mean to everyday IT? Is all of this activity so fundamentally game changing that an IT’ers job will become increasingly more productive? Or, does the onslaught of new shiny “things” pervasively translate addition work for an IT’er. After all, it’s us that will struggle as organizations strive (during a recession) to adopt new technology.
However, before trying to answer these questions, and more, let’s first take a few minutes, catch our breath, and reflect on something that is timeless. I recently visited Shodoshima (小豆島), a large island that is located in the Inland Sea of Japan. This island is mostly famous for the Kankakei Gorge (寒霞渓), growing olives, and a number of different temples. For myself, the island was peaceful, green, and one temple in particular caused me to take pause and reflect about the craziness that has now besieged us.
Kasagataki Temple (sorry I do not know the Kanji) is one of the 88 sacred places in Shodoshima. This particular temple is located on the side and top of a mountain. To get to this temple you need to first scale a number of very steep rock steps that are cut directly into the side of the mountain. From there you will reach the bottom portion of the temple. Then from the bottom portion of the template you would still need to climb a rock wall using a chain (kinda like rock climbing) to reach the top portion of the temple (or from what I was able to tell).
Unfortunately, at the time, I didn't realize that more of the temple was further up the side of the mountain (Google provided with further insight). So, I only have pictures and experiences from the lower part. But, even that was amazing considering that to get to the lower part of the temple you needed to first scale some really steep rock steps. Then from there, you still need make your way through a very narrow cave to find yourself inside a small wooden structure that is latterly clinging to the side of the mountain.
But, the effort is all worth it. Once inside you are presented with a commanding view of the surrounding valleys. All of which you can take in from a nice comfortable bench which is placed in front of open window. In other words, you pause as you take it all in. The concept of betas, release schedules, and integration fall away. Instead, you ponder in amazement that such a place exists, the effort that went into to build it, and the fact that it will most likely be there long after you are gone.
It’s that feeling, which brings me to the point of this post. Given the fluid and dynamic nature of IT, the roots will always be the same. At the end of the day, IT is just the bridge from which people access and manage information and the effort taken to do that is timeless.
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With more than ten years of experience in IT, Tyson Kopczynski has become a specialist in Active Directory, Information Assurance, Windows automation, PKI, and IT security practices. Tyson is also the founding author of the Windows PowerShell Unleashed series and has been a contributing author for such books as Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006 Unleashed and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Unleashed. He has also written many detailed technical papers and guides covering various technologies. As a consultant at Convergent Computing, Tyson works with and provides feedback for next generation Microsoft technologies since their inception and has also played a key role in expanding the automation and security practices at CCO. Tyson also holds such certifications as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), the SANS Security Essentials Certification (GSEC) and SANS Certified Incident Handler (GCIH), and the MCTS (Application Platform, Active Directory, and Network Infrastructure).
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