(no subject)

[camwyn]

Tired. Still working on that server restore. If I can just get SQL to work and let stuff be published to it I will be happy. I don't care about the rest of the restore. I just want SQL to work.

I don't want to feel incompetent. I don't want to look like I don't know what I'm doing. I don't want to spend the rest of the week in this server closet. I have to get the office ready for a contingency test next Friday. I have people to call and addresses to test and THINGS I HAVE NEVER HAD TO DO and arrrgh- I'm terrified here. I don't want to be exposed as a fraud because I've never had to do this before!

I keep telling myself that I'll get it right, or that it'll work okay, or- most especially- that this is only a job, not something Vastly Important in the Grand Scheme of Things. This is not worth mucking up my health, physical or mental. It's just not. It won't make a difference in the lives of most people around the world. It won't save a life or improve a child's day. It's not that important that I should be worrying myself sick about it... and yet I can't help it.

I would like to go hide somewhere for a while, but I can't do it until I get this damn thing to work.

Comments

[kyrielle]

Meh. :( I offer sympathy, and wishes for good luck.

[derien.livejournal.com]

The sucky thing about tech is, if it isn't working, you can't know for sure even that it's something you're not doing right - it might be something not right with SQL or the hardware, a small thing you just haven't detected as yet. And, no matter how many times you go through each and every thing, checking it, the problem might well turn out to be something so small and simple that you'll feel like an idiot. That DOESN'T mean that you are, because hugely experienced people make small mistakes every day with servers.

Nope, I don't know anything about servers, myself, but I used to be a network support person, and eor used to deal with servers, so I've got many hours of time watching the pros beat their heads against walls and then go, "Ohhh!"

[camwyn]

Every so often I sort of wish I'd mustered the organic chemistry mojo to go through with my original plans and become premed after all.

And then I remind myself that if I had gone into medicine, and I was up against something baffling and awful and got it wrong, people would die.

So, y'know... tech's not so bad. This is just frustrating, and when you add in me being overly tired and the fact that it's Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, well... mleh.

Hi.

[unsigned.livejournal.com]

Not that you don't probably already know this, but since you've given voice to this... Anyway, here's my 3 cents.

1) I think every IT person goes through this at some point. At least those people that push themselves outside of their comfort zones.
2) You're not alone, in what you've said.
3) Don't be afraid to request assistance, or better an assistant.

We're IT yes. We have SuperPowers (means beyond the comprehension of mere mortals), yes. But, unfortunately we're not indestructable, and sometimes we need a little hand.

Re: Hi.

[camwyn]

Yeah... I've been on the phone with tech support at Iron Mountain for more hours than I care to count, and they, too, are baffled. *pinches bridge of nose* If the 'just restore the fecking data dammit' doesn't work I'm going to have to call for outside help, which I don't want to do, but it's more important that the work get done than that I save face.

[daniidebrabant.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

I believe in you.

I know how clever you are.

You will not be beaten by this.

[condotierre.livejournal.com]

It'll go right, Og. You've got the entire Attack Yak brigade swishing their tails at you. With good luck flags tied all over 'em so they look like gigantic paper butterflies.

Much with the hugs. You can come hide with me in the meantime and have the Icon of Behave Or Else, Tech?

[silveraspen]

Those are two very big and stressful projects to be dealing with in the same week. Augh. And SQL -- you're using MS's SQL Server, aren't you? is notorious for being finicky about some things, as I recall.

Anyway, what unsigned and derien said, above. And although I left the field a year ago, I remember that sense of frustration very well. Doing everything right and having it just not work for some insane and totally seemingly unrelated reason is enough to give one hives.

However, said weird reasons often show up in online searches and forums from other techs who've had the same or darn near similar experiences.

Wish there was something more I could do to help, hon. If you need to bounce ideas off of someone, I can at least listen?

[eor.livejournal.com]

MS used to have problems with patch order. If you patched the OS too high initially, some of the service patches wouldn't take. I think the formula was patch the OS once, then patch Exchange, then patch Exchange again, then patch the OS twice more. ("Long, long ago, in a OS far, far away... this is not the particular solution you're looking for.") I don't know how many times I reinstalled that f-ing system with clients saying "why is the email down?"

Oh, and don't forget to sacrifice the chicken on the keyboard between step two and three. You might be able to slip by with a burnt out rooster, but for safety sake make it a fully egg laying hen.

[ocean-song.livejournal.com]

sorry work has been teh suck lately. You are not incompetent and it is NOT worth you getting all worked up and stressed out over. But of course you do, because you have high standards you hold yourself to, and work with excellence. Hang in there!

Let's try and chat sometime this weekend. I miss your voice.

*hugs her Mountie*