Where You Learned.

Okay, so everytime I see someone ask a "FAQ" they almost instantly get a response like "google." or something to that effect...

So my question to you is, where did you learn? from the basics like learning your operating system, and what hardware does what, to the more advanced networking/connecting to remote computers etc...

I am looking for the places you found your information, how you knew to look there, finding updated information etc...

just curious how the professionals became the professionals in a world that changes every second of every day!

A combination of trial and error and listening to those that knew. That said, I don't favor responding to users asking questions with "google it". That's the purpose of a forum, to ask questions and get answers. As far as coding is concerned, I went to school to learn that.

My apologies, that was very stereotypical of me… That is great, how did you find the people that “knew” ?

Bigelow's do some useful reference books on troubleshooting. Otherwise just visiting support and specialist forums like AO and reading the questions and responses, and the tutorials. :)

I actually learned a lot from this forum and a few others. I also like to take classes at school. I just finished a computer science degree back in May and learned a lot from that. Google is really a good tool though. I got into client server stuff a while back, and went on a rampage installing different services on my Linux boxes. I could always find tutorials to setup different servers on Google. I've been running a website now for almost 4 years. I think I posted a rant on here a while back about people who respond with Google it. It's not my favorite reply, but it does have its place.

I wish I weren't so lazy. Then I'd know a lot more. Oh well. Happy learning :).

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Originally Posted by ArPaNET

My apologies, that was very stereotypical of me… That is great, how did you find the people that “knew” ?

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Friends, relatives, forums, etc. The internet in general. If I want to know something, pretty much anything, I plug it into a seach engine and hit enter. Best reference device the world has ever seen. Libraries and encyclopedias are primitive and abridged by comparison.

My dad taught me the basics on computer hardware/os's before the time I was 7 and he also tought me basic (programming language) at that point too :-)

Trial and error. Or just playing around. I'm always reading. I don't much care for TV and the TV shows that I do like, my girl doesn't want to watch. So, I'll sit back with a book and my laptop, reading various online forums, taking classes in college, etc.

If someone asks me a question that I don't know, I feel like I have to find out. I've learned that is ok to respond with someone's question with a "I don't know." But, that should be followed up with a "But, I'll find out and get back to you."

- trial and error
- reading, reading, reading
- using google to find things that weren't necessarily in a book
- reading and interacting within forums, asking specific questions that weren't easily answered by trial and error, google or books

Well, I aint a professional, just a student, and I never met professionals who would be happy to answer my questions, they often go away, troubled my question bombing (actually I bring down their main server ..... brain on to its knees coz I cannot resist questioning when I know that the nect person is able to answer that). Save the professionals on AO, I have been flamed all over!

And of course I do not see anythig better than trial and error that teaches you things better!

I am still learning...aren't you? If not, you're doing it wrong. ;)

O

I am, albeit a bit more slowly now than then.

I should have mentioned "peer to peer". This is what we Brits call "like to like"?

Not equal in age, experience or area............ just in interest :)

I go out for drinks with mates in IT and with people who use it at all levels. You just share information, software and the like, and help eachother out.

I believe this is described as "networking" in Northern America?

:argue: Haven't used that smilie before; looks like a windoze session to me :D

Yes, networking, or just plain friendship. Networking has more of a business-contact connotation, however not a denotation. It's implied.

What do I call AO then? A network of people or a group of friends? ??

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Originally Posted by jockey0109

What do I call AO then? A network of people or a group of friends? ??

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Yes. When one gets meaningful answers from total (real-life) strangers, and then comes to trust and respect those responses and answers and opinions AND can accept constructive criticisms and outright rebukes without getting overly defensive...it's both. All depends on how one uses it and responds to it. AO is us. Always has been, as far back as I can remember. :)

O

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Originally Posted by jockey0109

What do I call AO then? A network of people or a group of friends? ??

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It can be either, just as it can in life.

I have learned from quite a few places.. back in jr high school, I would visit a message board on phreak.org. There was a guy that posted there named DataWar, he was incredibly intelligent, and did not mind answering any question. That board got shut down, so I started visiting security/IT channels on IRC. I found that some of those guys were pretty arrogant... and I got kind of turned off of message boards/chat servers... I started reading books and websites on the subject. Trial and error played a big part too. It wasn't until I found AO that I got back into the forums. AO has been a great learning tool. Search old threads and tutorials. There is a wealth of information here.

My Tandy 1000 came with a DOS 2.2 Manual and a Microstf Basic programing book. My school also had TRS-80's when I was in the 3rd grade on up. They taught a cool drawing program called snake, and had district wide contests (was fun and competitive).
Later, I ran a BBS for kids, because I was tired of the must be 18 BBS's that existed. Because kids should be able to play Legend of the Red Dragon. I learned some BBS stuff from an older guy I knew from Bowling. My DOS skills came in handy with batch files for BBS.
Then I went to community college and got a job as a lab assistant. Which allowed me to sit in any class I wanted, mainly I worked the NT 3.51 Workstation and Server classes and the Novell 3.12 classes.
Then I got my start as a peon at a medium sized company. After 3 months I had learned the things college doesn't teach, like routers, firewalls, switches. After a 1 1/2 yrs of working as a network admin I finally got the title. Another couple years became a Sr. Network Admin, and security became an issue. After focusing on security for a few years I got the title of Network Security Admin, same job different title.
I'll be starting a new job shortly with an even better title.

Things to help you learn.
Make goals of different things for yourself to learn, put a lot of things on the list and if you learn half you're doing good. When you are updating your list later, add some of the things you removed because they were hard to understand and see if the second time helps.
If you wonder how something works....figure it out.
Learn things that will help you now, things that you can't use right away you'll be more likely to forget. If you no longer have to work on something and are afraid you'll forget it, hone the skill during your free time.
Remember to keep everything in context on how things work together. If you can't understand the total picture it makes fixing it or knowing how to protect it hard.
Books are nice, if you can afford them. Conferences are cool. Free siminars are good for eating.


Just like in all things, if you do not enjoy doing it, you will probably not be good at it. If you like doing it and are willing to sacrafice your free time, you will be really good at it.