I wish there was more stuff going up today. I’m quite busy trying to convert my employer over to a nice, fast GigE network. We are already in awe over the increased speed of loading simulation data. We’re also discovering which cable drops in the building are marginal. Not much I can do about those without spending a lot of money for people to snake cable, so my strategy is to throttle those back to 100Base-T and hope none of the people who really need 1000Base-T have bad drops *cross fingers*.
I also have to do purchasing today.  If there’s one aspect of my job I hate, it’s purchasing. You’d think I’d like to shop for technological toys with someone else’s money, but that wears off pretty quickly. After a while you just get tired of dealing with the vendors. Even the ones who are easy to deal with. Everyone always wants this or that.
I usually won’t argue with people over what they need to do their jobs. Too many IT managers seem to take sadistic pleasure in denying folks basic things they need to do their jobs. I don’t do that. Whatever I can order for that person is pittance compared to what we’re spending on their salary. If a trackball mouse increases productivity of a six figure salary earner 1% it pays for itself.
Jesus. Where do you find these $1,000 trackballs? :)
The Sharper Image.
Or rather here. It’s a three button mouse with diamonds glued on it.
I also found a keyboard drawer for 777 billion dollars.
Heck, if a trackball prevents an RSI claim, it’s paid for itself a few thousand times, in costs and lost productivity.
(Not a trackball fiend myself, but some people can’t abide not having one, for RSI or efficiency reasons.)
Whatever I can order for that person is pittance compared to what we’re spending on their salary. If a trackball mouse increases productivity of a six figure salary earner 1% it pays for itself.
My former director used to say “If you’re willing to buy it on your own for 1/10 the price, then we’re willing to buy it for you for full price.”
My entire job is figuring out what to buy, how much of it, and how to build it; for one of the largest banks in the world.
It has its moments, both good and bad.