IT Blog Spotlight - Derek Schauland of Technically Speaking

Today’s IT Blogger Spotlight is on Derek Schauland. Derek’s blog is Technically Speaking, and he is an IT Manager for a small organization in Wisconsin in the food services business. He's been working with technology since the days of Windows NT. Derek also posts on the Microsoft TechNet IT Management blog and TechRepublic.com.

Recently Derek and I attended the Microsoft MVP Summit together, and we had an opportunity to chat about his blog.

LG: Tell me about your blog.

DS: The blog started as a way to share tips, tricks, and problem solutions with others.

LG: What are your most popular blog posts?

DS: The product reviews seem to be the most popular.

LG: Who are some of your other favorite bloggers?

DS: I read a lot of Ed Bott (edbott.com, zdnet.com), and TechNet Blogs.

LG: You recently completed your first book. Training Guide: Configuring WindowsRegistered 8. How was the book writing experience? Would you do it again?

DS: Writing a book was certainly an interesting challenge.  Articles and blog posts are quick and easy most of the time, but the book proved to be a much bigger challenge.  It was definitely a worthwhile experience and I would consider doing it again, but I’ll need some time to recuperate first.

LG: What do you do when you’re not doing IT? (and "sleep" doesn’t count!)

DS: That’s it.  I.T. and sleep.  Just kidding.  Although I am doing a ton of IT-related things outside of my job, including running a not-for-profit training organization (http://www.techontap.org) with a couple of friends. The idea behind the project is to help other IT pros network and learn about technology.  Maybe they get a chance to meet someone like Lawrence from SolarWinds or someone else in the industry they might not have otherwise met, but that is still IT.

LG: Okay, let me try another way. What would you do if there was an eight-day week and you could only work seven of them?

DS: Photography! I’ve always had a passion for the creative art of photography.

LG: What are some of your favorite SolarWinds products and why?

DS: Lately the favorite products are the smaller ones:

  • Mobile Admin because I can get alerts and correct issues from my iOS devices if I am not in the office
  • Web Help Desk because I am getting my co-workers used to the idea of tickets to help manage their issues
  • DameWare Remote Support for the huge number of features available for working with/troubleshooting issues on the local network



Follow Derek on:

Twitter: @webjunkie

His blog: Technically Speaking

            

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