Month: August 2021

T-Mobile Data Hack

By Kristin Imperio On In Uncategorized

You may not have heard, because for some reason these major events are rarely covered: T-Mobile had a massive data breach. They’ve confirmed that over 50 million people are affected, but some reports believe that it’s double that number, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. This breach wasn’t just names and emails either, it included first and last names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license information. But there’s good news! No credit card or debit card numbers per T-Mobile. Sorry while I roll my eyes.

Centralization of Servers: A Cyclical History!

By Michael Gregory On In Tech Tips

Every few years, computing undergoes a kind of cyclical change. You’ve likely not noticed it, as this change mostly affects larger infrastructure trends, but it’s there nonetheless. The cycle of centralization.

In the beginning of computing, computers were MASSIVE. There weren’t really “computers” in a place so much as “a computer,” especially when they would take up entire rooms and require constant maintenance and punch cards to program. These eventually got “smaller,” and would come to be known as “mainframes.” They were accessed from individual terminals that were basically only smart enough to print text and accept keyboard input to send back to the mainframe. Over time those terminals got even smarter, and mainframes went from the sole computing resource to a partner storing and helping to communicate amongst machines, allowing newer kinds of workflow. This became the internet we know today! But even within the world of servers, this cycle is active.

IT Guru?

By Kristin Imperio On In Misc

Since I’ve been in IT industry, I’ve been called an “IT Guru” many, many times. I have always been very uncomfortable being called a “guru” mostly because I don’t believe I am one. I admittedly don’t know everything about IT – far from it. I’m also okay with that, knowing that I didn’t graduate with an Information Technology or Computer Science degree. I just have the 16 years of on-the-job experience to back my knowledge, and I learn something new every day.

With that said, I think we need to change our language and our use of the word “guru.” Over the years, we’ve grown accustomed to phrases and words that we’ve misappropriated, and we don’t understand or acknowledge the history behind them. “Guru” is just one of many, and it would surprise you how many words and phrases we use without knowing their origins.

Guru comes from Buddhist and Hindu religions and refers to a spiritual guide or leader who is held in high esteem.[1] Calling someone a “guru” who is not an actual guru, diminishes the importance of its title and its origins. Unfortunately, complicated power dynamics can be involved in a guru/devotee relationship. A guru can claim to be all-knowing and to be trusted without question. This can lead to systems of abuse, harm and misconduct.[2]

I am not all-knowing, and I want to be questioned and taught. I might be an expert, but that doesn’t mean I’m better than anyone else.

Here’s some other phrases we can use: IT Expert, IT Whiz, or IT Specialist, perhaps. If you’re interested in learning more about other phrases that are misappropriated, here are some articles to expand your mind:

https://www.npr.org/sections/publiceditor/2018/08/08/636116479/adjusting-appropriately-to-words-that-hurt

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/commonly-terms-racist-origins/story?id=71840410

https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/cultural-appropriation/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/cultural-appropriation/

[2] https://www.yogaisdeadpodcast.com/resources-gurus-killed-yoga

Uninterruptible Power Supply

By Will Jay On In Tech Tips

This is the first summer since moving to our current apartment that we’ve had regular power issues due to heat. For the past month or so, we’ve occasionally had blips in power of varying lengths, sometimes long enough to shut off electronics. After calling around and not getting closer to fixing the problem, I decided to opt into purchasing an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for my computer, modem, and router, hopefully to weather these blips.