Once a year, we honor the person who keeps the mail server running, restores the file you accidentally deleted and makes sure you can watch funny videos of cats. This person is the SysAdmin, the unsung hero of every great company. Ours is George. George makes sure that the right wires are connected to the right routers to the right switches to the right servers, which are connected to the right databases so that you get the best DNS service in the world.
At OpenDNS, we make the SysAdmin’s life easier every day by giving you all those green checkmarks signifying day after day of zero downtime along with the features to help make doing your job easier. SysAdmins are so important, we think it’s lame they only get one day of honor. It’s no secret that most times the SysAdmin only gets recognized when things go wrong. So this year, OpenDNS is celebrating SysAdmin Day throughout the month of July, not just on July 27th.
Every Monday in July we’ll deliver you a challenge, and every Friday we’ll announce the winner on our blog. Only SysAdmins are welcome to participate. Prizes will surely be something you consider a gift. (Hint: It won’t be more DNS uptime. You’re using OpenDNS, so you get that anyway. Hint 2: It includes the words “Gift” and “Certificate.”)
The guys at AdminSpotting sum it up so well, so we thank them for the below poem. There were a few bad words we left out of our version, read theirs for the original, in all its SysAdmin-y glory.
Read and enjoy, SysAdmins. It’s not just your day, it’s your month.
Choose no life. Choose no career. Choose no family. Choose a big computer, choose hard disks the size of washing machines, old cars, CD ROM writers and electrical coffee makers. Choose no sleep, high caffeine and mental insurance. Choose fixed interest car loans. Choose a rented shoebox. Choose no friends. Choose black jeans and matching combat boots. Choose a swivel chair for your office in a range of fabrics. Choose NNTP and wondering why you’re logged on on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting in that chair looking at mind-numbing, spirit-crushing web sites, stuffing junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last on some miserable newsgroup, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, [omitted] up lusers Gates spawned to replace the computer-literate. Choose your future. Choose sysadmining.
Leandro Ardissone
Awesome!
I hope to remind the day to cheers George and whole OpenDNS family.
posted on June 29th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Andrew Barnett
Well done to SysAdmins across the world, and thanks to the guys at OpenDNS for providing this wonderful service for nothing…
posted on June 30th, 2007 at 7:00 am
Anthony Donato
Just wanted to say thanks! And keep up the good work!
posted on June 30th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Mark Stahovec
Just Keep Up the Good Work! I love being to surf faster than ever! U guys do an Superb Job! Happy Admin Day!
posted on June 30th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
OpenDNS Blog » SysAdmin challenge No. 1: PC Load Letter? What the %#* does that mean?
[…] We challenge you SysAdmins — tell us your personal Lumbergh story. Send an e-mail sysadminday at opendns dot com. Best story wins. Follow responses to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed.Leave a response below, or send a trackback from your own site. […]
posted on July 2nd, 2007 at 9:25 am
blog.iloaf.com » Terrorists & Subversion
[…] other news OpenDNS are starting very early for sysadmin appreciation day. They are currently seeking your “protocol errors” Filed under: News and […]
posted on July 3rd, 2007 at 1:33 am
OpenDNS Blog » SysAdmin Challenge No. 2: Are you a poet and know it?
[…] are 17 days left until SysAdmin Appreciation Day, which means it time to unveil challenge No. […]
posted on July 9th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Jeremy "Judge" Honor
Happy SysAdmin Day! Our sysadmin for Mortgage Fax Inc is Chris V. Although lazy @ times, he still kicks ass!
posted on July 11th, 2007 at 8:39 am
OpenDNS Blog » Winner announced: SysAdmin Challenge No. 2
[…] tuned right here for details about the next in the series of four SysAdmin Challenges, to be announced on Monday. And for your reading pleasure, here are a few more of Kirk’s […]
posted on July 13th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
OpenDNS Blog » Winner announced: SysAdmin Challenge No. 3
[…] celebration of SysAdmin Appreciation Day continues. Only one week left until the big day, Friday, July 27th. I hope you’ve been […]
posted on July 20th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Subash
I juz wanted to say thanks for keepin a faster DNS for nothin! THis service is faster than my ISP’s well done!
posted on July 25th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Maria Torres
Our SysAdmin is Matthias Looss, Nimo for short. Without Nimo we could not survive. We love him and want him to know that we appreciate him very very much. Thank you Nimo!!! and Felicidades
posted on July 26th, 2007 at 4:31 am
Bill
I sent a note to my sysadmin, and I got this in reply:
—–Original Message—–
From: Xxxxxx, Xxxxx
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 4:53 PM
To: Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx
Subject: Out of Office AutoReply: Sysadmin Appreciation Day
I will be out of the office until Tuesday, July 31st.
If you require immediate assistance, please contact the XXXXXX on-call at 000-000-0000.
posted on July 27th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
» SysAdmin Appreciation Day
[…] Day. They have a whole page dedicated to this day, or as they celebrate it — this month. Go check it out! And if you know a SysAdmin, give him a hug, or kiss — whichever way works […]
posted on May 16th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
OpenDNS Blog » Announcing the 2008 OpenDNS SysAdmin Awards
[…] OpenDNS that means opening day for SysAdmin Appreciation Month. If you recall last year we made a big decision: SysAdmin Appreciation Day, which is July 25, is not enough. We need an entire month to show our […]
posted on July 1st, 2008 at 4:49 pm