Optical Time Domain Reflectometers and a PhD by Xmas...

[tcpip]

- CCNA studies are going very well. I've completed all of semester one and I'm well into semester two. I now know that there is such a thing as an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer, what it does and I want one<. Interestingly since being "expelled" from the RMIT course my practise module test marks have gone up by between 10 and 15 percent (i.e., to 85-90%). Go figure.

- Apropros the above, RMIT have had stern words with the lecturer in question and the student union have offered to help out as well. They've offered me my place back, but it's all a bit too late really, seeming that they're still getting their head around module four or five of the first semester. I'm asking for a full refund of monies.

- Thinking about further vendor-specific qualifications post-Cisco, post-Certificate in Small Business Management. Oracle Certified Professional, Sun Certified Java programmer, Red Hat Certified Engineer come to mind. Thoughts?

- Spoke to my supervisor today (finally). "It's all there", were his words concerning about my PhD. He seems convinced that I'll receive said degree by Xmas - very nice! The conclusion needs to find its way to the introduction and my spelling, grammar, footnoting needs to be tightened up, but I knew that.

- Brisbane next week! Can't wait to meet all the el-jay Brissie people (oh, yeah, and the SAGE conference where I'm giving a paper).

- Have joined Linux Users of Victoria and Safari books. About time for both of them.

- Service at the Unitarians went very well, if everyone else's comments are to be believed. Speaker was from the Kew Cottages Association. My reading was from Richard Gilbert's sermon on aging and the worth of life.

- Two extremely pleasant distractions this week have helping out frou_frou set up her vintage clothing shop, Circa - and of course, taking the opportunity to say hello to horngirl, drzero and catwitch. The second was being a bunny for paula_angela as she took some photos of me all over town. Like all any talented artists she's managed to make me look better than I really am, and will pick one of the many el-jay icons she has created.

Comments

[shorxrore.livejournal.com]

holy christmas. i read your posts sometimes and i don't know what you're talking about a majority of the time. not the 'i don't know your life sorta thing' but the 'holy crap this guy is smart'

goddamn video games are really rotting my brain. but...they're just so much damn fun. i have a soft spot for anything fantasy.

but anyways, good to know there are people doing lots of stuff. i go back to school soon and i will be doing lots too. go us!

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

I'd think there is some virtue to just piling on the Cisco certs. All good stuff. Alternatively, Oracle stuff always seems in demand. I don't think people care that much about the Sun cert in particular, there are so many good Java programmers around with no formal qualifications. And I hate Red Hat, myself, so I wouldn't (Debian or Gentoo, or even FreeBSD, for me). YMMV.

Never had the chance to play with an OTDR myself either, but I always figured it was one of those things that the cabling companies owned and used on your behalf.

Wish I could make it to SAGE one of these days.

[hasimir.livejournal.com]

There are some good non-vendor specific Linux based certifications around. Exams were being held for one at the last LCA. One of the guys at work trains people for this sort of thing.

Also, welcome to LUV. :)

Whooohoo!

[bodgirl.livejournal.com]

Yay for you coming to town soon!

w00t! w00t!

Feesch

[crankycoyote.livejournal.com]

Having looked at and contemplated the Sun certification a few years ago, I'd recommend against it unless you just need something to prove your competence in the language. It would be the last thing I'd consider when hiring a consultant, and I haven't seen any reqs lately that have asked for it. If you do wish to get it, it should be fairly trivial - it was mostly syntax and optimization quirks if I recall correctly.

Congrats on the PhD!

[maxxxie2.livejournal.com]

Oy, I get tired just reading your LJ. You must have more stamina than the Energizer Bunny on speed.

Good luck with the CCNA, I've just started it myself - part of a CSU masters course. Sounds like you won't have any troubles with it :)

Cheers,
Max.