Confessions Of Network Admins

Network administrators have a strong connection with their networks -- in fact, they often consider the network as an extension of themselves. But network technology is changing dramatically, and the next couple of years will be wrought with growing pains brought on by the arrival of the Internet of Things, software-defined networking, mobility, and cloud computing.

Increasing demands on the network will come in the form of user requests, different vendor solutions and security concerns, and without the guidance of wise IT pros, networks are bound to lose their way. To showcase the close bond between net admin and network, we asked our thwack community to write a heartfelt note to their networks with advice for the challenges that lie ahead. Our admins poured out their hearts with hopes, frustrations, apologies, and optimism about the future.