Before Google, would I have been able to do my job effectively?
I’ve been thinking about this question the past few weeks, after I saw it raised on a reddit post. If I was no longer able to use a search engine during daily work, what kind of impact would that have on my ability to perform my responsibilities?
The most immediate result that comes to mind is the lack of ability to pick up syntax corrections and small code snippets/examples. I would be forced to be more organized in keeping my own examples and comments, and likely purchase additional resources to reference. In the scope of PowerShell it wouldn’t be as bad, as the help system built within PowerShell is excellent.
I’ve built up enough experience and understanding about “how things work” that I would be able to succeed in my role, albeit certainly less efficient.
Overall, I think I’d do alright with the lack of the Google, because I’m curious by nature. I investigate and seek to understand the concepts of technology I work with, not just the steps 1-2-3 to put it in place. I look for inter-dependencies in these platforms, and build upon a body of knowledge in how all the pieces fit together.
My thoughts turned to knowledge transfer, and how I can model some of these skills I have attained with my team members. I expect that 20 years ago there was a much higher reliance on mentorship and relationship building in order to acquire the experience needed to deal with technology solutions, and I think the additional benefits of those relationships are lost on us in the workforce now.
How can I continue to exceed my own expectations, and help uplift my team members in their quest to do the same? Here are a couple minor ideas that have big implications:
- Try, and sometimes fail
- Exhaustively read documentation
- Learn to dig for log files and packet captures
- Write post-mortem documents for completed projects; what went right, what went wrong
