The Autonomous IT Podcast and the Automox Community: A Two-Way Street

Automox has released more than twenty episodes in the Autonomous IT series and there’s plenty more coming down the line! You can listen to them on any of your favorite podcast platforms. And while our hosts share their expertise, experience, and opinions with you, we hope you know the best pods are a two-way street. 

Each podcast episode highlights a discussion question that lives in the Automox Community, allowing you to share your thoughts, opinions, tips, and tricks with us and each other. When you engage with the questions in the community, our hosts will read your comments on air! So we hope to hear from you. 

Check out what some of our hosts have to say in response to the latest discussion topics! 

Q: Drawing from your personal experiences, what projects or tasks have helped you become more comfortable and familiar with the Linux environment?

David's Answer:

HomeAssistant! I know Hands-On IT host Landon Miles has gone more in depth on this topic, but the world of home automation gave me personal, meaningful projects that I got excited about. That was the motivation I needed to dive into Linux. HomeAssistant needs a Linux server to run on, and there’s plenty of specific guides and a lively community ready to help. Splash in some ChatGPT Q&A on the random errors I got and now I have a much deeper understanding of Linux environments!

Have you dabbled with HomeAssistant yet? Let us know here.

 Q: How do you think early exposure to technology can shape one's career and interest in specific areas like Linux (just like in Ted’s journey)? 

Maddie’s Answer:

I think it’s so important for people to be exposed to as many different hobbies and interests as possible from a young age - if you don’t know it exists, you certainly don’t know that you can make a career out of it! I love that Ted was able to discover his interest in technology through his dad, and I think we should continue to make opportunities like that accessible to everyone through school and community programs.

How old were you when you first were exposed to tech? Share your story here!

If you're looking for some great resources and groups who make early exposure to technology easier and more accessible, here are some to look into: Girls in Tech, Girls Who Code, Hour of Code, or Cyberpatriot.

Q: Emacs or Vim?! And why?

Jason’s Answer: 

Listen, Vim is a fantastic text editor and there’s no reason to exit it, which is good because no one knows how. Emacs is a great OS, but it lacks a decent text editor. Even if we can’t agree on that, we can at least agree to make fun of Pico users.

Which side are you taking in this flame war? Say your piece here.

Q: How do you feel the relationship between IT and other departments affects the overall success of the company?

Ashley’s Answer: 

Relationships between IT and other departments are key to finding support and understanding around IT efforts. It’s the difference between a strong password and password123!. There’s a common misinterpretation (especially in enterprise companies) that IT exists to hassle you with changing your favorite software and elaborate false phishing attempts - having employees understand that IT are the good guys (and will buy you a password manager to remember that login) will help create synergy!

How's the relationship between IT and other departments in your org? Share your thoughts here.

Q: What was your first introduction to Linux?

Landon’s Answer: 

My first introduction to Linux was in 2011 – I had dual booted my MacBook with Windows 7, and quickly got tired of Windows, so I replaced it with Ubuntu 10.04. I had first heard of Linux in high school while flipping through channels late one night, and catching a random clip on The Big Bang Theory. 

How'd you get started with Linux? Share your experience here!