PCMech

[PCBrandon]

PCMech is a great community and I enjoy reading the topics made by its contributors. The only thing I wish it had was more information geared toward a server or networking environment, such as applications like server operating systems, exchange, ISA, and more. I feel PCMech is more geared towards build a computer yourself, desktop troubleshooting and basic workstation situations, which is fine. However, I'd like to expand my knowledge in the oh-so-great server world, can anyone recommend me towards a community like PCMech, except based on server applications?

Thanks!

[rspassey]

Many people here are in the IT feild, have experience with servers and server applications, and would probably be more than willing to help you out. I don't have much server knowledge, but I would try to help as much as I could...

If you have a question, ask away.

You aren't going to find many Forum communites like PCMech... the admins and moderators enforce the rules and the people are nice and don't flame or anything... that isn't the same at most other sites.

[PCBrandon]

I don't have any questions yet. But believe me, I will come Monday. I'll be attempting to config Windows, Exchange, ISA, SQL Server, IIS, SmartFilter, ASSP, and more to work in harmony together while being pressured by 100 staff members and 400 students. I just read that ISA has a backup utility that will back up the configuration of the arrays and servers, of course the people in charge before me didn't do that and now I have to start from scratch. Needless to say, I will make a backup after everything is working and I'll burn it to a million discs and store them in a underground safe in Antarctica.

OK, I'm done with my rant. This will be the first place I come for questions, but I was looking for another forum specifically built towards this type of environment just to expand my knowledge. I guess the community doesn't have to be up to par with PCMech; I'm a "Jr. Admin" for a forum based off a game. The forum has tons of people who like to participate in flame wars daily. :rolleyes:

[enhanced08]

Most members here are more "desktop" users, I have asked a number of Server/Networking questions over the years and had few answers to them, although they tried. Few people get the chance to use a real server (running a server OS) in their home because of the price and with a company only a select few are allowed to work with them.

This shouldnt stop you from asking tho, if nothing else someone will point you in the right direction! :)

[PCBrandon]

Yeah, I find myself very fortunate (maybe not come Monday) to be in this position. I'm only in 11th grade attending an Academy based on technology (and we still have to deal with Win 2k and Exch 2k!). There are about five people who are a Teacher Assistant to a school administrator. He is in charge of technology, but 98% of his time is spent on facilities, enrollment and more responsibilities more closely related to being a school administrator than an IT Admin. He delegates the responsibilities to his teacher assistants as far as the technology goes, but I am the only one who maintains the servers on campus. I enjoy what I do, plus I am learning tons of information that is most certainly going to be of use in the field I am most likely going to work in. Plus this summer we are probably getting a new server and software, as the warranty on the current server expires in two months, and we can't extend it anymore. He is putting in a request for a grant for the software as soon as we get the current server up and running.

[thefultonhow]

As much as I hate to say it, PCMech is not a forum for every type of tech question. As Enhanced08 said, we'ree more oriented towards home computing topics. When you get into a specialized subject like server administration, going to another forum is usually a good idea. When I had a Samll Business Server 2003 question, I posted on Winforums.org and got a good answer there.