The holidays are over and the overeating is done. Did you hold it for the holidays? This may be a good time to talk about “Bufferbloat.” That feeling you get when you’re full and can’t eat anymore but there is still a table full of food. In the computer world, we have storage called buffers that allows information to build up while it’s waiting to be processed or sent somewhere. In IT we often hear about bufferbloat when people call us to say their computer is slow or the network is slow. Have you ever noticed your phone shows five bars but nothing seems to be getting through: e-mail  or messages? All possible signs of bufferbloat.

Unlike us, computers cannot expand their stomachs to accommodate more information. So if you have a lot of programs open on your computer, or you’re working on a large Excel document with lots of calculations or macros, or you’re sending or downloading large files over the network, or you’re working on the server during peak hours, you may experience the affects of bufferbloat.

Side effects of bufferbloat may include “Tail Drop.” That is a rejection by the system. Latency, or delay while the information ahead of yours is processed. You might also call this deferment. Bufferbloat also occurs in a more common way, your mailbox. Before voicemail, you had to actually get someone on the line to pass information. But now with voicemail and e-mail systems that have large amounts of storage there is almost no limit to the communication buffer. Consider the new reality: buffers reduce idle time. And what does that mean? How many of you check e-mail while traveling, on vacation, during the weekend, during meetings, in the middle of the night, as soon as you wake up, OR IN THE BATHROOM!?

My hold it for the holidays effort has focused on my e-mail bufferbloat problem. In November, I began unsubscribing from nearly every incoming commercial e-mail (taildrop). While I was away, I turned on my phones temporary greeting and my e-mail Out-of-office notice (informing e-mail senders to expect latency in my response). I set up rules so my e-mail was directed to folders. By pre-sorting them, I could quickly process them. I used the “Clean Up Folders & Subfolders” option in Outlook to remove duplicates. The results? It’s still something I need to continue to work on. Bufferbloat is something I need to deal with every day.

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January brings with it a new year…… and a Super bowl!  Everyone knows that it takes a great team, led by great coaches to make it to the Super bowl.  We are very fortunate to have such a team within the County’s IT department.  Last month we acquainted you with Coach Pavlak (GIS), and we continue this month with an introduction to our Project Manager, Coach Tina McConnell.

How did you end up in IT?
Actually, it was never my intention to end up in IT.  I graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in Psychology and an Elementary School Teacher’s Certificate.   My plan was to teach, so I was applying for teaching jobs and planned to substitute teach in the fall if I did not find a full time position.  In the meantime, right after graduation, I got a summer job at Holland Hitch in their IT Department assisting their IT Secretary.  They did not have a formal Help Desk, but my phone number was the number that staff called to get assistance.  I would help them or record their issue and pass it onto a programmer.   At the time, Holland Hitch was just starting a project to move to Windows computers and install Microsoft Office.  Towards the end of the summer, the IT Director, came to me with a proposal.   He wanted to keep me on beyond the summer in a flexible manner.  If one of the schools called me to sub, I could do that, but on any days that I did not get a call, I would come in to work there.  He also asked me if I could develop a training program for Microsoft Office for their staff and conduct classes.  I had experience teaching, and I had experience using Word and Excel from college.   I ended up working for Holland Hitch for 2 years, and I traveled to each of their locations in South Carolina, Missouri, and Arkansas to teach my Microsoft Office classes.  After a year of substitute teaching and working at Holland Hitch, I had discovered that I liked teaching adults much better than kids.

What are your major job functions?
I wear a lot of different hats in the IT Department.  My title is Project Management Coordinator.   I do some project management, some process management for internal IT processes, Service Management, and Business Relationship management.  Basically, it all boils down to making sure our customers are getting the best service possible!

How long have you worked for the County?
I’ve been at the County for 12 years.

What was your very first job?  
Little Caesars, making the pizza, crazy bread and taking orders over the phone. 

What did you aspire to be as a child?
I honestly don’t ever remember having one specific career that I wanted to do.  I started college as a pre-med student, got a degree in Psychology and a teacher’s certificate, and ended up in IT.  Go figure!

Did you go to college?  If so, what college and what was your major?  
University of Michigan – GO BLUE!  Majored in Psychology and Education

Where are you from originally?  If not this area, how did you end up here? 
I have always lived in Michigan.  We moved to Holland from Owosso, MI when I was 10, and I now live less than a mile from the home in Holland where I grew up. 

Are you married? If so, spouse’s name?  
I’ve been married to Jack for almost 21 years. 

Do you have Children/grandchildren?  If so, names and ages?  
I have 2 kids.  Kaylie, 18, is a freshman at the University of Michigan Dearborn, majoring in Engineering and playing on their softball team.  Jaxson, 16, is a sophomore at West Ottawa High School. 

Do you have any Pets?  
I’ve always thought I was a dog person, because we always had dogs when I was growing up, but we have two cats right now, Toby and Keiko.   I’m thinking about adopting a golden retriever puppy in the spring, but we’ll see. 

Do you have any Hobbies?
I love to read.  My favorite author is Stephen King, I think I’ve read everything he’s ever written, except for the Dark Tower series.  I also like to see movies.  My dad took me to see the original Star Wars 7 times in the theater.   Harrison Ford has always been my favorite actor.  I joke that Han Solo and Indiana Jones were the first men I ever loved.  I was crushed when I saw A Force Awakens and Han died!  I think my husband was a little jealous.    I also have always loved to do jigsaw puzzles, the more difficult and bigger, the better.   I like to do crafts, but there hasn’t been a lot of time for that hobby while raising kids.  I listen to music. I’ve been told that my musical taste is not what people would expect.  It’s a little eclectic.  I’m partial to rock bands from the 80s, especially Bon Jovi, but actually enjoy the same music my teenagers listen to, which is what is usually playing loudly in my car.  My daughter and I have gone on several road trips together singing along with Pitbull and Meghan Trainor.  Finally, I love to watch my kids play sports, especially softball, and I’m looking forward to softball at the collegiate level this spring. 

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time in addition/in place of any hobbies? 
I’m a huge believer in life-long learning.  I have a Master’s degree in Information Technology that I got when my kids were little because I felt I needed to justify my career in IT with a degree.  Currently, I am working on another Master’s degree in Information Technology Management. 

Did you have a favorite toy growing up?
Puzzles and books.  I also loved Legos, but never had any of my own.  My little brother would get Lego sets for presents, and I would “help” him follow the instructions to build it.  Helping usually consisted of taking over, and making sure the directions were followed.   Can you tell I’m a first born child? 

In your opinion, what is the greatest technological advance of our time?  
I would have to say the smartphone.  My dad worked in IT and I remember when I was little going with him to work and seeing the huge computers and disk drives.  Now, we hold that power in the palm of our hands. 

If you could have lunch with any person living or dead, who would it be and why?
Although there are a ton of people I would love to talk to, I have to say my mom.  Both of my parents passed away from Alzheimer’s in the past 4 years, my mom first.  My dad was able to cover for mom for a long time, so by the time the rest of us realized she was really sick, she was beyond conversation.   I miss talking to her, and I have a ton of questions I never got to ask her.

If you knew you were going to be were stranded on a deserted island, what is the one item you would bring with you?
My Kindle loaded with books!

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Congratulations to Aaron Becker who has achieved certification as a CISCO-Certified Network Associate(CCNA). This challenging certification requires a strong knowledge of network setup and configuration. Aaron achieved this through self-study, classroom work, hands-on experience, and after passing two certification exams. Congratulations Aaron!

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Print Screen
Pressing this key will copy your entire screen (or multiple screens) onto the clipboard.  You can then paste it into any program that will allow you to paste an image.

Windows Key + Print Screen
This function was an “upgrade” in Windows 8, but also works for 10.  Pressing these keys simultaneously will again capture your entire screen (or screens) and automatically saves it to a folder located in Pictures > Screenshots.