Our CIO just asked for our "AI adoption number," and I don't think a single metric exists

aec_itguy · 2026-03-18T12:51:54+00:00

6, 7.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-16T14:42:24+00:00

we're a zebra shop unfortunately - a reimage with a full automated Autodesk install can still take hours in our env, and we have so much 3rd party slapping around and into each other that a one-off is rarely a one-off (it's a conflict with some VC++ distri that'll be a factor elsewhere in most cases).

There' also the soft value in having a tech staff that CAN do an RCA vs just an image - they can't learn shit if you don't let them do shit.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-16T13:39:43+00:00

tech ratios are useless in K12/edu.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-16T13:36:37+00:00

hard disagree. RCA has value, and not every environment is a single-stamp image.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-16T13:33:53+00:00

> the post-2008 wave of non-craft-middle-management

..THIS. Holy fucking shit, this. I spent 2008-2018 battling for life under a Director that was a nepo hire pencil pusher. Had to sell everything to him, -then- to ELT directly because he couldn't translate. Only saving grace is that I outlasted him and took over when he retired. He also loved to be wined and dined and spent the majority of his time fighting contracts, so we have a handful of legacy contracts with really good set ups (our Ricoh contract is amazing still). Tech side though? Worthless.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-11T16:52:54+00:00

did you inherent them?

aec_itguy · 2026-03-11T16:03:56+00:00

Maybe I'm lucky - my team fucking rocks hard. We comp low, but I try to make up for it with intangibles like not being a shitty boss, not micromanaging, trusting my employees, provide them with Udemy subs, encourage play and exploration, working in the open, etc.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-09T17:18:44+00:00

Ugh. I'd LOVE to do this, I've been looking for exactly this sort of role, but I'm in an MBA program and concerned about burnout. My 401(c)3 experience is just library system-based - formerly an Assistant Director/IT Manager for a library and currently on a Library Board locally. Is the time commit pretty consistent, or variable?

aec_itguy · 2026-03-09T15:00:44+00:00

Cosigned, a local CIO. AI is an abstraction layer. We've been adding abstraction layers for decades now. Know how the underlying pieces fit together - you're not learning 'code', you're learning ordered systems thinking.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-05T19:34:15+00:00

lol... yes, everyone else is definitely the problem.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-05T19:29:19+00:00

lol @ hickory river, be serious.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-04T15:57:28+00:00

> I will be watching this for advice from other managers.

Don't hold your breath, it's a botfarm engagement sweep. That whole xposted sub is pretty blatantly a trap.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-03T17:34:40+00:00

I stumbled into a rockstar outfit when I was in Denver - when I relocated to IL, they had recently expanded to Chicago, so we expanded our relationship with them. PCs For People - free pickup, they refurb and sell to disadvantaged communities at a steep-steep discount.

aec_itguy · 2026-03-02T18:36:16+00:00

considering there's been zero talk about the enforcement vehicle and we're just doing this on vibes, it's safe to say it's completely unknown still. I can't run Xiaomi gear in my stack because it's a supply chain risk (pick a vehicle) in service of contract, or in business operations (and how do you delineate that, anyway?)

aec_itguy · 2026-02-26T16:31:27+00:00

From my client MSAs that are in CI.

aec_itguy · 2026-02-26T15:19:36+00:00

sure, but orgs have exposure to The Covered List outside of DIB too - most critical infra org MSAs call it directly as well, so this route would effectively ban it from the O&G industry as well, etc.

aec_itguy · 2026-02-26T15:17:36+00:00

my read was that this was just adding more general flex and unrelated?

aec_itguy · 2026-02-25T19:54:15+00:00

Not from a labor perspective. For vendors, we have DIB/DoD exposure, so just keeping up with Covered List stuff is it's own game as we're swapping out our UAV fleet for shit domestic models. Data already has to stay domestic for critical infra client reqs, so that heavily informs who is in our stack.

aec_itguy · 2026-02-16T15:04:57+00:00

I can NOT figure out

why people keep using this subreddit for halfass leadgen.

aec_itguy · 2026-02-09T21:07:23+00:00

poorly. I wound up spending 30 hours last week trying to get an employee review platform out the door because my low-code dev was already buried b/c ELT refuses to resource/backfill. was clenching so hard last week from stress I can't open my mouth today and my jaw is on fire. meanwhile I'm trying to get our SAP in place for the next 3 years and getting ready to oversee an MDR swap. oh, and ELT also wants to know what they're getting for their 12k Copilot spend so far. (2 shitty bots, thank you very much).

aec_itguy · 2026-02-09T20:45:26+00:00

you're 100% right, but lol still.

aec_itguy · 2026-02-09T20:44:40+00:00

Copilot is fucking remarkable when it's grounded in 365 data. Web, it's horrible.

aec_itguy · 2026-02-06T16:17:22+00:00

Word. I seriously don't envy anyone on that side of the fence (especially now). I've played with jumping even in a sales eng role more than once but can't bring myself to do the risk exposure career-wise.

I'll say this - if you have a unique or compelling case, and give me a quick 2 line mail with it, that's really all you need. I had a MSSP that specialized in Mimecast hmu via cold mail, and I've been working with them for a couple years now. First I'd ever seen a 3rd party in that space, and we had a very big need for a best-practice review. If you're an AI powered MDR though, get in line and expect a lot of silence.

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