IT Crowd...v1.??

This doesn't look like the typical scene from your average computer repair lab, now does it?

Today we had to use DBAN to wipe the drives on those poor monsters we hack up on a regular basis. The professor had warned us it would take awhile and an awesome classmate of ours brought an N64 and a TV. God Bless 'em.

We played Smash Bros (I ran as Samus and later Kirby) and Golden Eye while DBAN ate up the drives like a slow acid spill.

Aside from this life in the IT program continues on as incredibly busy. We are deep in the throes of working on our Java games. I am making the art right now and coding and coding and coding.

In the past few weeks I have been privileged to hear from some amazing speakers at my clubs and at conferences here on campus. I also got to teach a group of 11-13 year old girls the fine art of basic computer networking and setting up WiFi.

Here's a view of the Smart Board with the presentation loaded up. It was an amazing experience. The girls were engaged and willing to learn and 3 of them hope to work in engineering or IT. I also got to meet a professor who has been on sabbatical. She was very inspiring and I enjoyed working with her and the other two students for the presentation.


At an Innovations Conference two weeks ago I got to hear from industry leaders from Microsoft to Motorola and a really awesome Crash Space speaker with a Maker Bot:

He had a photo of it with a "Tea, Earl Gray Hot" cup on it, but I didn't get a good picture of it. Yes, this 3-D printer that you see before you could very well be the forerunner to the Replicator...

So, that's my busy life right now. I'm planning on going to the midnight showing of Harry Potter despite the fact that next week our campus is closing down early due to financial strains, thus interrupting my job and putting me in a very, very tight spot for what will turn out to be most of December and January. I must persevere!

Java, Java, Java

I made a game!

In my Java course our final project is a fully working game along the lines of a 2D sidescroller. We've been learning how to write code at an accelerated pace. We got into GUI's after a few weeks. The challenge of the class is that it's a teaching style I have never encountered before called problem based learning. Essentially we know just enough to start a project and then must figure out the rest on our own. While progamming languages like Java certainly involve a lot of logic and math (thankfully!) there are also certain things that are very specific and not easily derived. Sometimes this feels like it might if you were learning Spanish and knew how to say Dónde and you knew that estar was a verb, but didn't know the conjugation rules nor the word for bathroom.

In the last few weeks the workload has gotten intense leading up to this very simple game. Figuring out how to write code for the specific requirements for this program is our last assignment before we begin working on the final game.

So, here it is. I made a video explaining the process and it includes footage of the "game".

IT Crowd v1.5

Last week marked my first full month in the IT program. For some of the stuff I've been doing it's been years since I last had exposure to it and some stuff has changed, while some hasn't.

In the very early BRUTAL morning I work on computer repair and problem-solving. We either take specific pieces out and/or have to troubleshoot what is wrong with the system. Our instructor messes with various things before the class.

I got some help from Cthulhu. Actually his static filled little body is pretty dangerous near most parts inside the box. However, he couldn't resist jumping up on the workbench and taking a look.

After what is sometimes an epic repair session I get ready for my Java programming class. Our end project will be a game and our final will consist of the professor and any invited friends playing the game and rating it. That's pretty cool. I really enjoy programming languages. Aside from that I also have a night class working in systems design. It has a really great format.

My networking course and lab comes last and consists of going through prep to take the network certification. We've gotten to play with some fun gadgets in there such as this meter that emits infrared.

I also had a lot of fun in there making a CAT-5 cable which is now hooking up the laptop I use to stream web shows on my TV to the router.

I am really pleased with my decision to pursue an IT degree even though I'm nearing 30 and had a completely different career path in my past. It's worth it and I really encourage others, especially other girls to consider this degree. At least take some classes if you are in school or thinking about going back. It's never too late!

IT Crowd v. 1.2

Java programming is my new best friend. I remember really enjoying the basic programming that I used to do and now that I am taking courses in IT the thrill has returned.

This past week I took apart a computer in the repairs class, did some basic network stuff, discussed systems analysis, and of course spilled plenty of code across the screen.

The work is not without its physical limitations. For one thing I'm a very petite person. In most of the labs the bench with the computer and, or monitor is pretty high and forgot about the shelf that holds the router. Much like a lot of things in this world the setting is optimized for someone at least 5' 8" or taller. I'm not worried about this though. It means I have reduced leverage, but I am going to track down a stool. This reality is part of the reason why I'm glad I'm not going into EST or hardware repair. I can imagine having difficulties at some places because of my hobbity size. Of course, I'm partially joking, but you never know...

Aside from this 'small' issue the work is a perfect fit. Here's part of the old computer that I will be repairing as the semester progresses and our professor plays tricks on us:

Still, a vast improvement over the computer I built in 1996 with a friend. We ran out of screws and tied the hard drive in with a shoelace. Yes, it ran fine.

Joining the IT Crowd

Well this title clearly does not refer to me becoming an actor on one of my favorite television shows (too bad, Moss needs an arch-nemesis!). No, what this title means is that as of last week I became a student in an Information Science program.

"But, CG didn't you just finish a Master's Degree in Literature!?", you may not be asking. "Yes" I answer, despite your clear lack of having actually ever asked the question in the first place.

Whew. (Oh and this graphic is my interpretation of the fear other people have of their systems. I hate it when people tell me how much they despise computers. Ergh.)

When I originally graduated with my Bachelor's I initially worked in the IT department of a global corporation located out in the Wild West. I loved the job. I was part of a very small team within the larger IT department. Our team was responsible for setting security access levels on the dozens of programs that the corporation needed employees to use. When someone quit or was fired we had to respond immediately and for new hires or for those who were promoted it was the same case. In one month I completed thousands of such tickets, which tells you how big the company was and still is.

That's not the only computer related job I've held, but it was the one that I remember the most fondly. On Halloween we spent all day working in the dark while a marathon of horror movies played at the front of the room. In the break room the channel was always turned to G4.

So why go back to IT; why now?

I grew up and watched the advancement of computers from the first Apple machines I used in 1986 to the first PC I helped a friend build in 1996. I've been a computer junkie for a long time.
While I was teaching college English courses what I loved the most was using technology to reach the students and creating web-based assignments.

So here I am. I have a lot of reasons for going back to IT, but I don't want to make this post any longer. Instead, I hope to write-up occasional reports from the trenches of IT study.

As usual these reports will have a mix of enthusiastic critique and negative critique. If you've been reading my blog for very long you will notice that I tend to look on the positive side of life. There is a deep set reason for that involving some very bad things life has dished out at me. I tend to be enthusiastic about things that most others might find neutral or inconsequential because I need to latch on to the positive after what I've been through and to enjoy the small things whenever I can because the big things have often been very hard on me.

That said I will close with this. IT ROCKS!
(see what I did there)

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