The Linux consultant: The Maytag repairman of the IT world

“Now understand the people I was with were all self-employed
consultants who depend upon their client’s needed support for
income. Needed support. That’s the key. My freelance
clients…they rarely need me. Oh sure I secure shell in to
some of the boxes now and then to check security logs and update.
But other than that – those machines just run and run. Of all my IT
consultant friends, I am the Maytag repair man. If you don’t get
the reference, I will explain.

“Years ago the Maytag company had a wonderful advertising
campaign (that was mostly successful due to the casting of a rather
charming Gordon Jump of TVs WKRP in Cincinnati) that illustrated
how dependable the Maytag washers and dryers were. The old
repairman grew bored and lonely because those machines never needed
his assistance. His lack of work helped define the reliability of a
line of machines.”

Complete
Story