If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve heard about the CrowdStrike mess that went down over the weekend. Maybe you were one of the lucky ones whose work laptop refused to boot. Or perhaps you work in healthcare, air travel, or another industry that was suddenly thrown into chaos.
I’m here to tell you about that chaos from the perspective of someone who lived it: an IT worker who spent their weekend (and then some) putting out fires, fielding angry calls, and wondering why, exactly, I chose this career.
It started innocently enough. A few reports of Windows machines crashing. Then, a trickle turned into a flood. Our phones were ringing off the hook. Emails piled up. Every alert was screaming “SYSTEM FAILURE.”
Turns out, a routine update from CrowdStrike had a nasty side effect: the Blue Screen of Death. For those who don’t know, that’s the Windows equivalent of a nuclear meltdown. Systems locked up. Critical services ground to a halt. And we, the IT folks, were suddenly the most popular (and hated) people on the planet.
Let me tell you, it’s a strange feeling to be both essential and reviled. On the one hand, you’re the only one who can fix the problem. You’re the hero, the savior, the wizard who can magically restore order.
But on the other hand, you’re also the scapegoat. The one who caused the problem in the first place (never mind that it was CrowdStrike’s fault). You’re the incompetent, the tech dummy who can’t even keep the computers running.
It’s exhausting. And it makes you question why you put up with it.
Here’s the thing: IT workers are the backbone of the modern world. We keep the lights on, the data flowing, the systems running. We do it often behind the scenes, with little recognition or appreciation.
We’re also the first ones called when something goes wrong. We work long hours, weekends, holidays – whatever it takes to get things back to normal.
And when the dust settles? We’re often forgotten. Back to being the invisible support staff, until the next crisis hits.
So, this is my message to all of you: the next time your computer works flawlessly, remember the IT team who made it possible.
The next time you have a tech issue, be patient and understanding. We’re not miracle workers, but we’ll do our best to help you.
And to my fellow IT professionals: keep your chin up. You’re doing important work. You deserve recognition, appreciation, and a decent work-life balance.
We may be underappreciated, but we’re not unneeded. We’re the glue that holds everything together.
The CrowdStrike outage was a wake-up call for many. It highlighted the fragility of our technology-dependent world, and the importance of the people who keep it running.
Let’s not forget that lesson. Let’s give IT the respect it deserves.
And for those of you still dealing with this ongoing problem, I sympathize with you. I hope it all is resolved soon.