Category: Learning

In Defense of MonoTech

I’m typing this on a device called an AlphaSmart.  It’s a very basic word processor – five lines of text, 47 letters wide.  That’s all this thing does, process words.  I carry the newest phone, have a smart watch, my house is smarter than me, and I upgrade my computers way too often.  I must have the latest HD shininess. This thing, in contrast, looks just as low tech as it is: a keyboard and an LCD screen.  Why would a technophile such as myself use an antiquated single purpose device you ask?  Simple, it keeps me focussed.

Here’s the thing.  If I’m on my computer I tend to have 5-7 browser tabs open, my Outlook is open usually, MightyText, Twitter, and at least 4 terminal windows.  I want to be a monotasker but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.  I’m easily distracted, so I try to focus on the thing I’m mainly doing.  My line of work isn’t conducive to this work style, but I try.  I don’t text when I’m talking to people, I don’t email during customer meetings, and I will politely ask to find a stopping point in whatever I’m working on if you walk up and need my attention.  Facilitating connectedness my entire career has caused some pretty bad habits though, and this thing is a nice break.  I can get the words out of my head, while my head is quiet, and edit it later.

When I’m just getting thoughts on paper, having a device that can only get thoughts on paper (or rather a calculator looking screen) is perfect.  It lasts a year on 3 AA batteries and it stores a few hundred pages of text that I can then transfer to my computer by connecting a USB cable- it emulates a keyboard, then it “types” everything into Word.  Quaint, right? It doesn’t chime when I get an email, I can’t decide to check Twitter, play Trivia Crack, or Google whether Tecumseh fought on the American or British side of the War of 1812.  I can only write.

I’ve said before that I want everything in my bag to do two things.  Is the fact that it keeps me focussed and allows me to process words two things, or is that cheating?  Probably the latter, but I’ll take the trade-off.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve to got to see what emails, texts, IMs, and Tweets I have been ruthlessly ignoring for this 15 whole minutes of monotasking goodness.

Why I Buy Tools Out Of Pocket

Mechanics buy their own tools, plumbers do too, a lot of trades do. Most of us in technology are given a fair set of tools to do the job not long after signing the offer letter, and most of us take it for granted.

My employer is gracious enough to provide the current tech we have on offer.  They supply a lab server.  They provide a pretty beefy and regularly updated laptop.  I’ve got APs out the wazoo.  They even supply a car and the occasional polo shirt.  They provide the basics for me to get my job done.  They provide what I honestly think is a fair toolbox.  Could it be updated more often?  Sure, I’m a gearhound, who doesn’t want new and shiny stuff?

What they don’t provide is the incredible selection of fun wireless hardware that can help me to better understand my craft and ply my trade.  I didn’t get issued a WiFi Pineapple, but I wanted to see how well its Captive Portal could pass for an Aruba or Cisco one.  I wanted to be able to show my customers and to be able to talk about the threats these cute little devices can pose.  I wasn’t shipped a Hacker Arsenal WiMonitor and Winx and but I wanted to show my customers an inexpensive tool that can get some packets quick in a hurry.  I didn’t receive a WLAN Pi when it came out, but I wanted to be able to demonstrate to my customers that having a quick a solution for ePerf/iPerf, grabbing packets, and pulling speed tests is important and doesn’t have to mean buying expensive tools, requisitioning a MacBook or standing up a VM.

I got a desktop machine to use as a server when I started five years ago.  I got a Shuttle a few years later.  I wanted to be able to run multiple versions of all of our software, plus sundry stuff a customer may have in their environment.  Those boxes were out of gas as more and more of my company’s solutions are virtualized.  So I dug around on Craigslist and found a couple DL360s.  I wanted to be able to bounce gear out in the lab in my shop from my office in the house, so I went on eBay and picked up some IP PDUs.  I lock myself out, so I got an AirConsole.

Can I do my job without the kit above?  Yes.  Can I do it more easily with the above?  Hells yes.  When I mentor folks coming up in the trade I tell them that I’m willing to empower them, but that I don’t invest without return.  They have to put as much time into themselves as I do – and as much as I put into myself when my mentors helped me.  I expect them to fill their toolbox, and I expect to help them fill it.

So what’s the meat of this philosophical sandwich?  Easy: How can I expect someone to invest in me if I don’t invest in myself?

Also, I need the tax write-offs.