Welcome to my new blog.
I have decided to start with an entirely fresh setup. This applies not only to my blog, but to a whole slew of areas of my life.
First, I have decided to take a new direction in my professional life. For 20 years or so, I have been mainly focused on the systems administration area of IT. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do – I get to play on computers all day AND they pay me for it !!! I’ve had the opportunity to work on some of the biggest and most powerful machines around (Control Data mainframes, Cray supercomputers and Silicon Graphics graphical workstations). I’ve had the privilege of being asked work on some high profile and mission critical systems. I’ve also seen many, many changes happen in the industry. I can remember when 286 & 386 machines were “Da BOMB”. One project I worked on deployed top-of-the-line $20,000 Pentium Pro servers and now those same machines can’t even match the CPU power of my iPhone. One thing I’ve learned through all these years is that IT is all about change. Doing things faster, cheaper and, preferably, automatically. That’s the name of the game. Where are we headed next ? Data & analysing data. That’s where I believe it’s going.
More & more emphasis is being placed on Analytics and Business Intelligence. For the past 3 years or so, I’ve been able to focus on being the company’s primary production infrastructure SQL DBA. I’ve attended training classes & workshops. I’ve traveled all over Florida to network at various SQL Saturdays. I’m extremely involved in the local PASS chapter. Why have I immersed myself in all this database-y goodness. Because I can get a better job & further my career through it. I will, in the next week, be moving to a great company – Pragmatic Works. I will be performing database performance tuning and optimising, etc duties while branching out into the new world of BI. I will take my wealth of systems administration experience & pair it with the SQL & BI knowledge so that I can really be productive.
Second, In order to facilitate this career advancement, the family will be moving to Jacksonville. Initially, I will be staying in South Florida to blow up a few bridges wrap up a few commitments that I have. We’re looking to make the big move north sometime in June ’11.
I will be sharing further changes that are on the horizon, but that will have to wait for another post at another time. This is only the first of many posts about various things – Life, SQL & everything.
Please stay tuned. This show is only going to get better …
Connect with me
I’m attending !!!
Hi, this is a comment.
I’m happy to report that this blog is going to be BRILLIANT !!!
(Disclaimer: I’m biased).
Gareth, good luck with the new gig! Wouldnt a better title be “unique and not DULL”?
Thanks, Andy
I really feel this is going to be good for us. Plus, I’m not moving too far away so I can still harass you … lol.
Also, Thanks for the suggestion. That’s great !! I using it !
Thanks again.
See you @ SQLRally.
Congratulations on the new job and best of luck to you in your new career path! I eagerly await to read more about “Life, SQL and everything” on your new blog!
Thanks, Rebecca.
We are very happy about the whole thing.
Please say hi to Stephen for us.
Ah, I concur, this is going to be brilliant! I look forward to more!
Thanks, Gayle.
I hope to pique your interest often.
G
June??!! June??!! Let’s go NOOOOWWWWWWWWW….
Q: How does a non-SQLCruiser get into SQL BBQ?
A: Unique into it
Congrats on the new job Gareth, can’t wait to read all the awesomeness that will show up in your blog!
ROFL. Well, Maybe just L.
Hahaha.
Thanks, mate. I believe we are in for an adventure …
Fantastic news Gareth! Looks like future cruises will need to book out of Cape Canaveral, eh?
Thank you, sir.
Hehehe, We can make a plan for SQLCruise. No worries.
Speak to you soon.
Just when I started to trust you and even like you, you run away.. I wish you all the best any how.
Yeah. It only took 4+ yrs. Hehehe.
Thanks, man. I’m not going too far & I’d still like to come down to the Keys & go on the boat sometime.
G
Gareth,
Congratulations again as you embark on your new “tour of duty” and your blog. It was very nice seeing you and the family at happy hour on Friday.
Cheers!
Raymond
Since my property value would escalate without a low fixed barrier between me and the ocean, I recommend that you address the Tarpon River bridge when you’re next in South Florida. All the best with the new directions you’re taking, and with the new gig. Hopefully you’ll be able to institute a Wings Friday.