The evolution of a "Digitigraded" IT Guru

# A Glimpse Into Digital History

In the early 2000s, the Silicon Valley became the epicenter of a new technological gold rush, reminiscent of the folklore and tales of the Wild West. During this dynamic period, the world witnessed the soaring heights of the “Dot-com bubble”, a phenomenon characterized by a surge in internet-based companies and skyrocketing stock prices. Concurrently, the dawn of cloud computing had just begun began, promising a new frontier in how data was stored and accessed, and would go on to transform the digital landscape in unprecedented ways.

Amidst this digital revolution, I was bestowed with an Internet domain – dogtoe.com – which I quickly embraced as one of my own. Without knowing any inkling of its origin, or the creator’s intention, I had already used it to setup SquirrelMail on an aging Linux desktop I had lying around at home.

Over the years, this domain became a testament to resilience, reflecting my own personal journey and new career trajectory as I too would venture into the very often uncharted realms of Information Technology.

# Cloud Evolution and Global Pandemic

In the late 90s and early 2000s, the business landscape transformed as companies maximized the potential of the Internet. This digital boom, while advantageous, also introduced its set of challenges, particularly in security. Cloud computing, initially hailed for its convenience and scalability, soon revealed its inherent vulnerabilities.

To address these challenges and improve cohesion between development and operations teams, concepts like DevOps, SecOps, ITOps and NoOps emerged each forming new industries of their own. These methodologies attempted to expedite business processes while fortifying security. Still, the digital realm witnessed significant threats, from unauthorized access to major data breaches. Companies that managed to navigate these challenges reinforced their cybersecurity measures, striving to ensure that data remained safe in the ever-evolving cloud landscape.

However, the onset of COVID-19 seemed like Mother Nature threw a giant monkey wrench into the mix. Beyond its immediate health and financial impact, it cast light on the gaping holes in digital infrastructure as businesses were forced into remote operations, each testing their resilience, adaptability and their own cloud security.

# Decoding ‘Digitigrade’

Back in the early 2000’s my initial foray into understanding the meaning of “Dogtoe” led me me to countless “memes” from an early ICanHasCheezburger.com featuring mostly domesticated cats and dogs. Wikipedia was hardly an authority back then, with colleges and universities largely questioning the possible authenticity of a crowd-sourced encyclopedia that always demands donations. It was around that time I first learned of the term “digitigrade” which I found in this article-stub, dated October 25, 2004 (current: digitigrade).

Rooted in biology, “digitigrade” describes terrestrial mammals that walk on their toes, offering some advantages, over their plantigrade (that’s us) and unguligrade counterparts.

This newfound knowledge triggered an idea in my young, but very eager mind: If animals could leverage these advantages in the natural world, why couldn’t a tech professional harness similar attributes in the digital ecosystem?

It’s only somewhat ironic that all those fancy new buzzwords, when combined, (I-T, D-E-V, N-O, S-E-C, O-P-S) would more than likely make me a winner at the then popular Scrabble alternative, better known as Words With Friends:

DECEPTIVE 67 pts
CENTIPEDES 65 pts
DETECTIVES 66 pts
DECEPTIONS 65 pts
DETECTIVE 65 pts
EVIDENCE 64 pts

These words not only score high but also resonate with the on-going security challenges that have become the new norm.

# Embracing the ‘Digitigrade’ in IT

“Digitigrade” means a lot more than having a unique vantage point over others. It’s not just about being on your toes, ready to tackle challenges – it’s about embodying the essence of speed, stealth, agility, and foresight of a digitigrade in every task that you do:

Speed – In the rapidly changing world of IT, being able to swiftly adapt to new technologies and troubleshoot issues is paramount. Just as a cheetah uses its digitigrade-ness for high-speed chases, the digitigraded IT guru harnesses speed to stay ahead of digital challenges and stays current with the latest advancements.
Stealth – Implementing solutions without causing disruptions or drawing unnecessary attention is an art. Much like a cat moving silently in the shadows, the digitigraded IT guru implores seamless transitions with every change.
Agility – The digital realm is dynamic, with ever-evolving challenges. The ability required to pivot between different cloud platforms while able to easily troubleshoot a gambit of hardware, software, and network issues is crucial. Just like a gazelle navigates the savannah with grace, the IT professional maneuvers through the digital landscape with finesse.
Foresight – Beyond the immediate technicalities, the digitigraded IT guru usually sees the bigger picture. They understand the strategic implications of sometimes hasty decisions, ensuring alignment with broader business objectives and project milestones. This elevated perspective is akin to a predator surveying surroundings from a vantage point about to strike its prey.

# Navigating the Future

As I continue to build and evolve the digitigrade of my own, I strive to explore the continued parallels between the digitigrade world and the ever-changing relams of IT. This unique perspective, will forever offer fresh insight into new challenges and opportunities in the uncharted territories that lie up ahead.

Stay tuned as we continue on this journey together, and further understand how the attributes of speed, stealth, agility, and vision shape the future of IT operations.

Thank you for joining me on this exploration. Until next time – keep embodying your inner-digitigrade in every digital stride you take and keep embracing the digitigrade spirit in all that you do!