Network management: a profession, not a hobby

With the proliferation of computers, inexpensive wireless routers, and plug n' play hardware nowadays, many homes are operating with small networks.  Behind some of these home networks lies a newbie, a possible future techie in training, and from that ever increasing pool of applicants spawn what I like to call the "professional hobbyist".  A lot of the unnecessary work that I come across in the field today is the result of people who have little to no work experience, no education, and certainly no professional certifications in the field of network administration, performing network administrative tasks.  Just because someone can unbox & plug in a wireless router (security risks and all) doesn't make them an expert in the field of wireless networks.  This is usually where the average, everyday citizen takes their first steps to becoming a "professional hobbyist" (PH).  These first initial steps then foster the belief that the PH knows all about the complexities of installing & configuring a network, and can take this knowledge with them to the corporate world and make some money.  

Unfortunately, the fish don't jump right in the boat ... There are the fisherman (the PH), and then there are the fish, the unfortunate companies who succumb and take the bait ... The lure of getting a lot and spending very little.  When has this ever been the case?  When will people and companies finally come to terms and figure this out?  The Golden Rule in Information Technology should be "You get what you pay for".  This includes both the purchasing of hardware as well as network administrative services.  Whether the company can afford to keep a dedicated network manager on staff, or if the company retains the services of a network consultant, these individuals should be qualified.  But I continue to see this happen every day at an overwhelmingly high rate.  Small companies looking to save a buck, many of these companies never even having an IT budget in place, who unwittingly retain the services of these professional hobbyists (PH).

In my experiences, the story usually starts one of two ways: "The Apocalyptic Referral" or "The Trojan Horse".  The former starts out with the PH getting their foot in the door with the "I know a guy" referral from someone who works for the company.  The latter occurs when someone on the inside takes over the network admin role, either being assigned the role by the company or by slipping in to the role on their own being the "resident techie".  "The Trojan Horse" is usually the more common method, and more catastrophic to a business network.  The PH in this case takes the ball and runs with the new IT role in hopes of padding the ‘ole resume, and proceeds to use the company's network as their own private "test lab", a technical playground that he/she hopes to learn from.  All good things (in this case not a "good thing") come to and end, and the company receives the final blow when this person decides to leave for greener pastures, and in their wake leaves a "less then perfect" (shall we say) network, one that Dr. Frankenstein would be very proud of ... Only Dr. Frankenstein knowing how everything is "pieced" together.

As with everything else in life, you get what you pay for.  By writing this article, I hope to warn small businesses from this fate, as well as to prevent some hobbyists from biting off more then they can chew with the "baptism by fire" approach to jumpstarting a new career for themselves.  All businesses must come to terms that they require someone who is knowledgeable and educated in the field of network administration to manage their network resources.  Information is one of, if not the greatest asset a company has, and that asset is stored on servers that should be properly maintained & protected.  Time & time again, I explain to companies that it costs more to clean up the damage after it has occurred, not to mention the loss of time in business productivity, rather then simply spending the money up front to have a true professional manage your network.  Unfortunately for them, not all companies heed this advice.

Beware of the "professional hobbyist" ... Hopefully not coming to a network near you ...