I like this extract from the article ... it reminds me on how stupid the IT Management Services of my university, Petronas Technology University.
The Dumb-asses
OK, so a good Linux/Unix Admin will be jack of all trades when it comes to the computer world. Most will have some basic knowledge of just about everything. I want to explain a situation I ran into a few years back that made my jaw drop and got me so freaking frustrated.
http://linuxgangster.org/modules.php?name=Content&file=viewarticle&id=19
We lost power, and I came in along with our Windows Admin at the time to check in on a 2 servers that didn't come up automatically. One Windows and one FreeBSD.
Windows Admin goes to his and to his surprise the Windows machine is going in reboot loop. BIOS, OS start, reboot, BIOS, OS start reboot etc, basically a file system error occurred that was fixed by booting into safe mode and running scan disk I believe.
So we go to my machine and its hung at the BIOS level. I turn it off and turn it back on, same thing. Right after the memory count, and before the SCSI initialization it hard locks. Hrmm, that's weird. I show Windows Admin who laughs at me. This is how the conversation went:
Win Admin: Damn unstable Linux, if that thing was running Windows you would of been able to easily fix it.
Me: Huh (keep in mind, this guy has A+ certification so he should know how a computer works)
Win Admin: System won't even start to boot, Linux really bit the dust that time ha ha.
Me: Hey smart guy, you are aware that it hasn't even tried to touch the Master Boot Sector?
Win Admin: Like I know that Linux crap, you don't have to worry about that crap in Windows.
Me: OMG (I start laughing).
Win Admin: Whats so funny?
Me: Let me get this straight, your A+ certified correct?
I then go on to explain that the issue is not a OS, but at the hardware level. And I also taught him what the master boot record was.