Dan, Thanks for keeping this community and this platform going for this long. You had the vision, you have had the dedication, you've also had the tenacity to keep this amazing thing going steady. And you've kept the discipline on the list.
I've been here since 1997, but since 2011 I have been an occasional lurker. Like an addict sniffing alcohol. I am glad I came in today to check. I accidentally stumbled into Remedy after college in 1996 and was still a Remedy guy till 2010. Sometimes I wonder what my career and my life would have been if I had made a different choice. After college, I was about to take a Visual C++ developer job at a bank in New York City. Out of the blue a company called RISC Management called to say they would make me a Remedy consultant and pay for travel around the country. I was sold. I didn't care what else they said and what Remedy was. One week of training and I was off in Atlanta helping I think it was Bell South, all expenses paid. Being paid a handsome $40,000 per year. I didn't know but I had just switched to a track named Remedy for 14 years. Ok, I just reread what I wrote below and I warn you it has no point. Thinking of Remedy, ARSList and ARSListers brought back a lot of deep emotions and memories, so my mind wandered around. I have seen ARS 2.1 and beyond. No applications in the early days, each implementation started with building the app on the ARS engine you bought. Point and click customization, Rapid Application Development, process before the apps were the Remedy mantras. From Unix, the platform ported to Windows. Manualls were always green on black. I had to learn enough of SQL, Oracle, Sybase, Informix, and DB2 as sometimes there was no DBA. Went to Merril Lynch, JP Morgan, Motefiore Medical Center, Merial, Pitney Bowes, Uniliver, Down Jones, Gucci, Bureau of National Affairs, Celluar One, Heidrick and Struggles (Sears Tower), CIT, SIAC, Ameritech, Walgreens. Long ago, so I think statute of limitations on client disclosure has expired. I mostly did well on engagements, many solo, some in teams. Not always. I went to Compaq headquarters in Houston to port them from Unix to WinNT. I had trouble installing ARS. Pleas for help (text paging through a call, remember?) from my manager went unanswered (his dog ate his pager, literally, it turns out). I was sent back on the plane middle of the week, but I survived as I was very new (second or third gig). A client got upset for not knowing that macro files could be opened and customized. Mostly I wasn't this inept. ARS 3.x brought some apps. 4.x apps were more mature. I replaced a system in the literally deep, dark room under Wall street where a lot of circuits met (SIAC). I switched the company in 1.5 years, and started making $70,000. Got laid off in 10 months (red hot days of Remedy, but they didn't know how to get business), but quickly went back to work. The applications and the platform matured through the versions. ARWeb gave way to...forgot the name of the 1MB applet that had to be downloaded every time. Active Links became more active and Filters filtered more. Went to hospitals, banks, retailers (GUCCI, Walgreens), Escalations always confused people that if the Run If didn't match it did not fire Else code on each record, but fired it just once. Category/Type/Item were always problematic and everybody had an opinion. I had a gig just fixing the structure. I never understood why Remedy Notifier window was tiny and not resizable. Doug Mueller always said no when asked if he would consider an "undo" button in Remedy Admin. ARSList was always the best friend day and night. It multiplied your brain by a factor of 2000 or 3000. It was not only a tech forum, but a hangout. Reading the posts taught you 10 times what a training or one implementation would teach you. I never went to a RUG. Can't really explain why. No employer ever offered and I didn't try too hard. So I know the old timers mainly through their posts. Claire Sanford is a name I definitely remember. Dan's writings could be/are amusing, especially if he is writing about something he is not amused about. I became RAC certified. Wife was happy to use my mileage for free trips. Setup DSO in three continents. Did Unix scripting, C API programming, Perl scripting. In Detroit I worked a 24 hour day to troubleshoot an issue. Dark days of Peregrine took me to San Diego for Peregrine training. It was a waste, but wife got to come and we made it to Tiuana in Mexico. As Peregrine appeared to be going down, I bought $3000 worth of stock thinking I know the technology, it's good enough to make a come back. They went belly up and I got pennies back. This was a precursor to my sinking $3000 in Lehman Brothers, as it was tanking. (Don't follow the crowd, right?) In Edmonton, Canada, on not so fine December week, I got tired of the cold, so worked a 48 hour shift to I could fly back early in the week. Went out to eat, but yes no sleep, no shower. An add job coding PL/SQL against ARS's database, so I was mostly alone. I was a zombie through the flight through MN. I customized every module to death in 6.x. At a client near LA, I spent two years customizing. ITSM 7 radically changed the applications, exponentially raising the complexity, making log reading a nightmare. The paltform got a lot wider with more components, mostly from acquired companies/technologies. On 9/11 I had finished a 10 month Remedy upgrade gig (I think it was ITSM 5) at Ameritech in Detroit and I was sleeping late at home in New York City that Monday having nothing to do. Luckily I and my wife were safe. Traveled a week later for one last trip to Detroit, was seated just behind the cockpit, and they gave me plastic knife to eat but steel fork which I thought was stupid as the fork is a better weapon than a steel knife. Getting up to go to the bathroom was awkward, lest somebody jumps on me fearing a cockpit intrusion. I picked up a pack of cards at the airport with pictures of the twin towers and gave it around in Detroit as I said goodbye. People were still in shock, as far as Detroit. After the first kid, I switched to independent contracting job around New York City, so I could pick local gigs. I did fine, but I didn't like a single wall street bank I went to. I was a misfit, and after the 2008 financial crisis, I promised I wasn't going to make a living enabling them to do the stuff they do that are illegal, should be illegal, or are immoral. Dumb if you live in New York I know, but I meant it. I ultimately moved to Washington DC. Worked virtually for six months from the other side of the earth, starting work after dinner, sometimes working with battery power for the DSL link, the VOIP box and the laptop. Dealing with ITSM 7, the buggy/unstable installation (or the code), on the phone with BMC's premier support, with sales reps listening, on emergency calls hours at a time. The three continent project was a disaster. I forewarned and got into trouble. Power struggle between the three continents (I mean the companies' Australian, Eurpoean and American entities, Aussies wanting to be the king renaming Remedy "Agility", and sending their own branded Remedy/ITSM installation package with their own version that barely worked. Weirdest thing I ever saw. ). Finally for some stability I came back to New York, joined the Ivy Laegue University as a full time employee. Ancient Remedy installation. I became a hero by deploying Mid-tier (what, you can do Remedy on the browser?). I struggled to get them to upgrade ARS/ITSM internally (no consultants). No outside labor, no extra maintenance cost didn't seal the deal with the IT bosses. Preached ITIL. Went all the way up to one level below CIO preaching a tool/process transformation. Gave up and quit. A month later, ServiceNow swooped in and they flipped. It's a good thing I never became a salesman. There ended my Remedy career, as I joined a big consulting firm and started ITSM process/strategy work. My current client site has Remedy, but I don't have the keys to the Remedy kingdom, so I am just a user. Anyway, if you are still reading, I admire your stamina. Be well folks. I will join the community even if I may not be visiting often. And a big thanks to all who helped me, laughed with me, and pulled their hair with me in ARSLIST over the years. I've not done a good job of meeting the listers in person, but if you will be visiting DC, I will have coffee or a beer with anybody, oldtimers or newcomers. r-a+b+i+n+t+A*T+g-m-a-i-l. Lose all the special characters. Regards. > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: arslist <arsl...@danielbloom.ca> > Date: Tue, Sep 13, 2016 at 11:06 AM > Subject: Re: Off Topic - Before the List is Gone! NOTE: Not Gone, MOVED > To: arslist@arslist.org > > > ** > > NOTE: On Friday Sept. 30th the plug will literally be pulled on the > Servers this version of the list is running on. Please move over to the new > home in Communities by then. > > > > The ARSlist didn’t even start on listserv, it was another messaging > software. I planned to make it a group on usenet, but the anarchist group > in charge spent 9 months talking about where it should be in the structure > (anyone familiar with Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the marketing > team arguing about what do people want from the wheel?) > > > > For the past 14 years it has had a home in a machine room in downtown > Toronto, on Servers I purchased (both replaced once). Those servers from > 2009-2013 also helped us run the WWRUG events, so I could justify the > expense. > > > > Volume on the ARSlist is a quarter of what it was two years ago because > the vast majority of posters are now on communities. > > > > There is also now the new Developer’s site for the Innovation Suite, > developers.bmc.com > > > > We are all very busy, and there are too many places to go to find things. > Now communities will get you to the ARSlist too. I have been promised > non-censorship and non-interference. > > > > So, same discussions, same people if we are all still interested, > different location. > > > > Note: I am not disappearing either, and I hope none of you do! > > > > The care and feeding of this community has been a highlight of the past 23 > years for me, and through it I have met, electronically and\or physically a > really great group of people most of whom I think of as friends. > > > > Times change, c’est la vie. > > > > Now I just have to be a part of the Community, not build the platform the > community lives on. > > > > Cheers Dan > > p.s. and yes, I prefer this platform to jive and Communities, it just > isn’t the pragmatic one anymore, and I hope to influence the improvements > in Communities to meet our needs > > > > > > > > *From:* Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto: > arslist@ARSLIST.ORG] *On Behalf Of *Joe D'Souza > *Sent:* September 12, 2016 7:21 PM > *To:* arslist@ARSLIST.ORG > *Subject:* Re: Off Topic - Before the List is Gone! > > > > ** > > I totally reflect the sentiments of all of you. I heard of and started > using the list a little after about a year or 2 after it was started and > since then has been the best resource and online community I had the > privilege of being a part of.. Thank you all and hopefully the BMC > Communities will be a similar experience once I resume using it.. > > > > Joe > > > ------------------------------ > > *From:* Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [ > mailto:arslist@ARSLIST.ORG <arslist@ARSLIST.ORG>] *On Behalf Of *Kelly > Deaver > *Sent:* Thursday, July 28, 2016 12:33 PM > *To:* arslist@ARSLIST.ORG > *Subject:* Re: Off Topic - Before the List is Gone! > > > > Thanks Claire.. 2AM.. I think that was me! You knew I would be flying back > from my assignment in California and would check mail when I got home. > Thank God, I new the answer! > > > > The community of ITSM professionals is only about 2 degrees of separation > for anyone. I'm sure we will see you around. > > > > Times really are changing! First ARSlist moving and now I won't be able to > make Engage this year. It will be the first Remedy included conference I > have missed in 21 years! > > > > We* must* all stay in touch. I have spoken LOL > > > > Kelly Deaver > ke...@kellydeaver.com <kelly.ctr.dea...@faa.gov> (Business mail) > > kdea...@kellydeaver.com (arslist mail) > > > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Off Topic - Before the List is Gone! > From: "Sanford, Claire" <claire.sanf...@memorialhermann.org> > Date: Mon, July 25, 2016 10:52 am > To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG > > ** > > This list has been one of the most valuable tools during my entire Remedy > career. We have seen so many ups and downs in that time period! Personal > and professional! I know there are times I would not have been able to > solve a problem quickly and accurately without it! > > > > 1am? 5am? 2pm? No problem. The list and the amazing people that > populated it were always there for me! Thank you! I will miss the list as > much as I will miss Remedy. There are so many people, I’m not going > to/can’t list them all… > > > > Phil, Dan, Pat, Rick, Michelle, Warren, Teresa, Misi, Doug M, Jarl, Gid, > Joe, Jason, Doug B., Tauf, Kelly D, Roger, Herb, Roger, LJ, David and on > and on and on! > > > > On August 29th (that is the planned date) we cut over to SNOW. > > > > I won’t be gone yet. Remedy will still be around for at least a year. > Nothing new will be happening. Just maintenance and archive mode! > > > > Thank you all for being so fantastic! > > Claire Sanford > > Remedy Admin/Dev 12/1/1998 to sometime in 2016. > > > > _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_ > > _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_ _ARSlist: > "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_ > _ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" and have been for 20 years_ > > _______________________________________________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org "Where the Answers Are, and have been for 20 years"
