The IT profession: A labor of love

Labor Day is a great opportunity for us to remember that whatever you may think of labor unions today, without their courageous efforts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, we wouldn’t have health benefits, safe working conditions, or a 40-hour workweek.

Oh, that last part — fuggedaboutit.

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In response to “How’s it going?” almost every IT pro I know, whether a developer, admin, consultant, or whatever responds, “It’s crazy. You wouldn’t believe…” Then I hear a litany of things that broke, boneheaded moves by know-nothing bosses, horrific vendor support tales, and so on. (If you enjoy a normal workweek, please let us know your secret in the comments below.)

In honor of Labor Day, here are some classics by InfoWorld contributors who toil in the trenches day after day. Some are bits of advice, advocacy, or workplace humor from the likes of InfoWorld’s Paul Venezia, Matt Prigge, and Andrew Oliver; others are anonymous anecdotes from our Off the Record blog. Read and enjoy:

• Wanted: Brilliant technology slave

  Do you have what it takes to do everything at once without missing a beat? Then Fergenschmeir Systems wants you

• Is your IT operation on the brink? Then ‘fess up

  Many IT organizations were starved during the downturn. Come clean now and get the resources you need before it’s too late

• Slimeball boss learns you don’t mess with IT

  A meticulous tech team stands between a sleazy project manager and his plan to secretly procure IT equipment

• How to succeed in IT without really trying

  Know what you’re doing? If so, you’ll pay the price of being in high demand, while the slackers party on

• The new IT job and the company malcontent

  In this true IT tale, a new hire faces the challenge of dealing with a disgruntled coworker

• 6 home truths about rock star developers

  You want the best and the brightest money can buy. Or do you? In fact, you’re better served by a group of developers with mixed skill levels who get the job done

• Nine traits of the veteran Unix admin

  Follow this field guide if you want to understand the rare and elusive hard-core Unix geek

I hope you find this entertaining reading on your day off — provided you have the day off. All the best from the InfoWorld crew.

This article, “The IT profession: A labor of love,” originally appeared at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Eric Knorr’s Modernizing IT blog. And for the latest business technology news, follow InfoWorld on Twitter.