[jawfin]

Not to drift too much off topic here lol - but I'm not a network administrator, I'm a desktop programmer. I develop desktop applications, programs that run in MS Windows. So I know programming languages, compilers, databases, software development, systems analysis and design. I specialize in management information systems, which is to say accounting software that handles debtors, creditors, stock and warehousing, pricing and discount structures, cashbooks, general ledger, assets and deprecation. tax, sales analysis, with a bit of document management and tracking interfacing with emailing programs, also interfacing with online banking software for EFT and direct debit stuff, contact management, post sales support, service modules, bill of materials and forecasting with purchasing - point of sale software interfacing cash-draws and slip docket printers, barcode scanners, portable data terminals etc.

So, my job kicks in once the network is completely functioning, the printers and all other peripherals installed, VPN's setup via TS or w/e. I don't / can't set that up, instead I make the installers of my software that only work once the hardware is in place. If a workstation can't see the mapped network drive of the server it is not my problem, that's where the technician fits in (like Taipan is). I've never set a RAID up, wouldn't know one if I saw it; I just develop applications like this quick and dirty graphics editor I made http://www.egonomics.com/jka/imgproc.exe

So the term I meant by hardware technician is just in contrast to the software developer

[Chantelle]

I was gonna say to melissa, I think its just a contrast in interpretation.

In my office theres two me who do my job, two who do your job Jawfin.

I'm the network engineer so thats manage the network, vpn, we dont use TS. we have our own 3rd party software. servers WAN, LAN and etc.. not to say I dont bother with the day to days problems like a mapped drive.. everyone chips in and does everything .

Although id say help desk/ technician as the wording is more specific to help desk and problem shooting role rather than travelling to a site to change over their server and switch for example.

I guess you get the same in software side of things with regards to levels.

I dont get as much involved in coding now, my last job i had to do alot of basic, crystal reporting and I build the intranet and internet sites using asp.net.. plus i coded the database..

Although these days everyone helps each other out. But I learnt specialising is the best way to go.

[Jato]

>.X so much... technology...