You know how you open MS Access for the first, or even the second and third times, and you really don’t have a clue what you’re doing, you just finger paint with it a bit. The person who was probably responsible for actually using the requested database made me a finger painting of what they wanted in Access and added some text in an email hoping for what every first time user hopes from MS Access, connected record navigation across open forms of course. Is that even possible in the program? Sure. But not from someone six weeks deep into Network+ Certification classes who has never learned to use MS Access.

What path would you go down if you were in my position? I can’t let my friend down by refusing the project. I can’t sit at my computer all day and night slamming my head against the monitor. I can’t charge my new client for my mistakes and learning setbacks. I can’t hand my new client a product that they didn’t ask for. I checked out that free trial for Microsoft Office 2007, I am really impressed with it. I’m saving money to buy it because of all the tools it offers for my new networking service I will be creating.

I spent the rest of my extra time in the computer lab getting used to the neat network file system.   I have access to computers in both of my classes, and they all seem to be networked so that I can access my institution provided files folder.  Logging into one computer in one class, I have access to all my files, as well as the other computer in the other class.  The system remembers my settings that I have accumulated across applications, including operating systems and programs.

In my first class, Introduction to database management, the instructor got us thinking in the right direction with ethics.  In my second class, Networking essentials, our instructor had up read the schools policy section in the catalog.  I am certain that this is the path that I want to be on currently.  I want to understand the computer network that runs in the school, and thanks to some classes, I will work on and with it.  I now know from the first day that these classes will get me in the right direction to become a network administrator.

The first network, as far as we know, was built a long time ago in a pool of liquid.  Organisms banded together through mutual survival by communicating.  A form of stimulus-response behavior prompted them to react to certain outside threats and they were able to sound the alarm to hunker down and prepare for battle.  Therefore it’s no surprise to see the same behavior in all forms of life today.  The cities, states, and countries all subscribe to these very same communication structures for survival.  The postal system, telegraph, and telephone networks are all modern examples of the need for providing for the people a means to communicate information that is time sensitive.  The internet as we all know it is the most recent of these networks to be implemented and used for that very same purpose.

Both networks are certainly mutually exclusive of the other, as they can both be utilized for similar tasks, but the real power of utilization includes the use of both for the same ends.  As discovered by our military in Iraq for securing the towns and villages, and here in the United States for creating grassroots campaign efforts to elect future presidents, the two can prove to be quite indispensable.  Traditionally for a presidential campaign  volunteers will go door to door and hand out pamphlets with a limited amount of text packed into them.  Todays campaigns enjoy the merging of these networks by allowing the door to door people to drop a website onto the people they wish to impress, and at their leisure they can view video of the candidate as if he were sitting in their living rooms.

I know a few of you are thinking about becoming a network administrator, and I have decided to become one myself, so here is a great way of finding out if network administration is the right path for you. The first thing you should consider is what a network administrator actually does all day long. I know part of the draw for me was seeing a guy with his own office sitting in front of his computer all day surfing the internet. Well that may be a part of some lucky persons daily grind, but that certainly isn’t the norm.

My friend Peter works for an old hotel in downtown Chicago as a network administrator and he talked with me about his job there. Peter explained first off, that the hotels daily operations rely heavily on a multitude of networks and interconnected services. From the moment a patron calls to reserve a room to the questionnaire they filled out gets input into the system. He continued to explain to me that contrary to my belief, his job kept him busy all day long running from employee workstations to repairing cables and equipment in the basement server room. Maintaining the various systems require detailed knowledge and require you to be able to trouble shoot their integration on the fly as new technologies are implemented into the whole system.

Determining the right certification is also very important because they don’t all cover the same subjects. Deciding the depth at which you would like to go with your career can help you plot your course. From simple wire connections during home installations of entertainment components to worldwide fiber optic networks, you should take the time to explore the systems you want to spend your time on. Depending on where you are currently, taking a high school electronics class, considering a military career, looking for a minor, or looking to change your job path, entry options are various and available at virtually any location in the modern world. Classes can be taken online or in hands on labs in community colleges. What seems to be the most important these days and especially for me is knowing that I will be happy with the direction I have taken. That’s not to say you can’t change your mind and switch it up or upgrade your certification because you most certainly can.

“The united states of America” is ready to accept you. We’re very glad you decided to join the experts and hobbyists in the U.S.A.! Results are typically proportional to your level of involvement, so don’t be afraid to jump right in and share your expertise and passions with the world.

The first thing you should do is add your own property to this citizenship. Then, you’ll want to edit or delete the first (sample) zeitgeist that has been created for you automatically. You must create at least one entry in this new life within the first week of its activation or you risk permanent jail time. Plus, we want to make sure you’re here for all the right reasons - so your private communications will be monitored.

To remain in good standing, and to keep our country flowing strong with your wisdom, please do not let your activity lapse for longer than 6 months. If you have any questions or concerns, please review our constitution - which is not likely to change, but may be adjusted if too many people abuse the system. Having a life in the U.S.A. is a privilege, not a right.

If you’ve been free before, you’re probably already familiar with the nuances of how this works. If you’re completely new to freedom, think of this as nothing more than a way to write something unique and have it read by thousands of people from around the world. The U.S.A. has built fantastic discovery tools so that people might find you throughout the land as well as through related countries throughout world wide trade.

For the moment, we are only able to offer you 75/25 income through your own wages (so, be sure you’ve set the proper social security number in our system). The beauty of this is: you can monitor those statistics throughout your own career.

We will be adding more consumption programs for you in the future, including the ability to track and trace all expenditures (which will be done on a 94/6 percentage split). If we see that you are using your citizenship to do nothing but drive moral down, you could have your citizenship revoked. More importantly, if we discover that you’re selling state secrets, technology, or trade secrets, you could find yourself in jail.

You retain 100% ownership of your ideas, but only if you pay the $5,000 patent fee. If you choose to quote from an external source, please quote conservatively. The world is interested in hearing new, insightful commentary - original tips, tricks, and ideas. If it’s discovered that you’re copying content without proper attribution, or if you’re doing nothing more than quoting content without providing enough original commentary, you could have your account revoked.

This system is in a constant state of evolution; at some point, we may be using a different state control system (like fascism or dictatorship). We have a small think tank pushing out policies and bills as frequently as possible, but if you can lend a hand and help the greater city state - please let us know.

Thank you in advance for your organ donation. Please proceed to the naturalization office for further processing.

One purpose of this first post is to highlight similarities between the United States of America and someone’s privately owned internet connected server. Another purpose is to fulfill a few requirements for my account here at Lockergnome.