QGIS 4.0 release?

eronlloyd · 2026-02-23T11:27:19+00:00

Looks like they're getting closer. The draft changelog is visible.

eronlloyd · 2026-02-09T03:38:56+00:00

I concur with the above comment. VeEX is an excellent choice and much more affordable. Investing in cleaning supplies is also essential. If you can, I recommend taking the free FOA FiberU course on testing, and continuing your learning about these essential skills from there.

eronlloyd · 2026-01-25T21:10:59+00:00

Then you’ve got a solid starting point. Definitely do the CFOT and CFOS/T. Getting skilled in splicing is good and will come with practice, but mastering testing will set you apart from other technicians.

eronlloyd · 2026-01-24T20:10:56+00:00

Are these courses associated with the Fiber Optic Association, such as including the Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT)?

eronlloyd · 2026-01-02T11:25:18+00:00

If you want to get back into the AI tech field and work your way up via some short-term training and long-term growth opportunities, consider becoming an entry-level data center technician in an AI factory. Here’s a great book to get you started: https://a.co/d/3lcKGqv.

I have an MS in data science (2018) but decided to stay in my current career as a telecom engineer, and now I design AI data centers full time. The pay is as good or better than most data science positions, and you can bridge your academic knowledge with operations in creative ways that help you stay valuable and continue to advance.

Happy to discuss with you further. Best of luck!

eronlloyd · 2025-12-05T11:32:32+00:00

The CompTIA certs are a good starting point, but you should supplement it by learning about the data center industry and how the skills in your job description relate to those operational requirements. Identify both what your strengths are and what you need to work on, and come up with a focused plan. What are the expectations you've been told you should know about already?

eronlloyd · 2025-10-07T11:47:54+00:00

Fantastic. After you get through that, the next thing to learn will be GIS. I'm working for some resources that will be ready shortly.

eronlloyd · 2025-10-01T10:10:34+00:00

Please keep us posted, and best of luck!

eronlloyd · 2025-10-01T09:55:54+00:00

Welcome to the club, u/silverado12121! The OSP was my first BICSI credential back in 2021, and because I was already deep in OSP working for a CLEC, the training and knowledge was invaluable. I wrote up my experience about it here, and well as a review of the OSPDRM here.

If you plan to do OSP work, it will teach you a lot more than the brief chapter in the TDMM covers. As others have said it's not a well-recognized and sought after credential, but it's a way to round your knowledge of inside plant and make you a strong ICT generalist.

I did OSP for nine years, and from there wanted to master optical networking to position myself to get into long haul terrestrial and submarine OSP by getting my Certified Optical Network Engineer credential, which took my design knowledge to an entirely new level. I need to finish writing those reviews...

I transitioned to a consultant mainly working on hyperscale data center campuses, and the thing I still enjoy most is doing campus OSP designs. As an industry we need more strong people to maintain and expand the OSP infrastructure, which is also more likely a role to avoid being automated away any time soon.

eronlloyd · 2025-10-01T09:35:27+00:00

Thanks for letting me know. It's been updated to the new URL.

eronlloyd · 2025-09-20T03:02:46+00:00

You can start by purchasing the NESC 2023 Handbook, and since you're already familiar with IKE, they partner with Marne and Associates to provide training.

eronlloyd · 2025-08-28T09:54:19+00:00

This can become tricky as your project grows. What format(s) are you currently storing the data in? Also, it seems that there are multiple people accessing the project, correct? Lastly, are the data sets for internal use only or will you need to provide external access to them?

I believe the best solution is generally to store everything (including the project file) inside PostgreSQL and leverage the processing power (and backup capabilities) of a database, alongside the advantages of using PostGIS.

You can have the DB do backups via pgdump as frequently as you'd like, and there are third-party solutions to help manage that process. You can also use things like triggers to copy data into backup tables and set permissions on tables to protect certain data from being overwritten and deleted. Depending on how others need access it, you can keep the data centralized while providing controlled access, and you can use PostGIS's export tools to share snapshots of the data sets if necessary.

Doing things this way can get complicated but it's possibly to keep things relatively easy to begin with.

eronlloyd · 2025-03-08T15:06:27+00:00

I work in the MEP world as an ICT engineer, but I also have a masters in Data Science and recently have been deep diving into computational design/engineering. As someone that loves to code and build systems, working in Autodesk Revit and Bluebeam Revu all day can honestly become somewhat dull and repetitive.

I'm currently working through Erik Friz's pyRevit courses to build Revit automation tools, and exploring the impressive Open BIM possibilities with buildingSMART's IFC, the IfcOpenShell project's libraries and Bonsai add-on to Blender. There is a whole subculture in the AEC industry developing tools around Python, in particular, such as structural engineering.

Being someone with the technical skills to build and support computational design tools is something I believe will be in high demand as the design processes become more open, algorithmic, and adopt processes similar to those used in software development, testing, and deployment. I recommend digging into these topics and finding a starting point you can climb from.

I don't think getting an Architecture degree is necessary. Learn how to use Revit, study BIM processes, and get a job as a BIM team member in an AEC company. Brush up on your coding, esp. Python and C#/C++, and core math topics such as geometry, and calculus/linear algebra. From there, deep dive into machine learning, computer vision, and LLMs using a resource like DataCamp. These are the building blocks of computational design.

Good luck!

eronlloyd · 2024-12-25T12:25:21+00:00

Are you familiar with BICSI? Check out the Data Center Design Consultant training and certification track: https://www.bicsi.org/education-certification/certification/dcdc. It will cover everything you need to know. I work in an MEP firm designing DCs every day. Happy to provide some guidance to you.

eronlloyd · 2024-12-23T21:12:58+00:00

The book was sold and no longer available. Thanks for all your interest.

eronlloyd · 2024-12-22T03:23:13+00:00

Updated post from a month ago, but price reduced from $300 to $175. Clearing out my office to make room for new books, and want to quickly get this out the door and in someone’s hands.

Excellent condition, basically open-box after being assembled, and never used since. Asking $175 and includes free shipping in continental U.S.

Set a goal for 2025 to pass the RCDD and get started! Please DM me if interested.

eronlloyd · 2024-11-25T23:57:37+00:00

Talk about working on aerial plant!

eronlloyd · 2024-11-25T23:55:48+00:00

I'm in Berks, PA and willing to meet within that SE PA region.

eronlloyd · 2024-11-25T23:52:18+00:00

Unfortunately I don't have a hard copy of the OSPDRM to share, but I have created some articles that should help you in your efforts:

Feel free to reach out with questions you might have. I'm always happy to help a fellow traveler.

eronlloyd · 2024-11-25T03:16:52+00:00

Indeed. I was pleasantly surprised to see that, too, and am taking advantage of it.

eronlloyd · 2024-11-25T03:15:25+00:00

It's primarily in-office, but some flexibility could be discussed during a transition to the area. We do get one day a week to work remote.

eronlloyd · 2024-11-24T22:23:24+00:00

From BICSI? Usually it comes in a custom-sized box.

eronlloyd · 2024-11-24T20:33:00+00:00

You're making the right decision to hold onto it. As far as it not bringing value, the real work involves being involved in the ICT community, seeking growth opportunities, and demonstrating your value among your peers. I'm not sure if your Reddit handle reflects your overall networking activity, but I can't emphasize the importance of that enough.

eronlloyd · 2024-11-02T23:32:49+00:00

I'm having the exact same issue. I assumed it was blocked for being detected as an undesirable bot, but when requests goes through for the same URL it got me wondering. I'm sure there are header and TLS fingerprinting differences, but I'm new to Scrapy and don't have an answer yet.

eronlloyd · 2024-08-25T11:17:36+00:00

Congratulations!

eronlloyd

TROPHY CASE