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I never understood - what does 'operator' mean in this context. I've never encountered anyone with the job title 'operator'. Does it mean 'user'? But that doesn

I never understood - what does 'operator' mean in this context. I've never encountered anyone with the job title 'operator'. Does it mean 'user'? But that doesn't fit with the content because the Bastard Operator doesn't like users. Does it mean 'admin'? But then why a different word?

jasongill 5y ago
The term would be akin to system administrator now; the sysop was the one who was in charge of the computer (you know, the one computer on a business or school campus that everyone shared via terminals). They would be in charge of monitoring the computer, making sure that users weren't doing anything they weren't supposed to and impacting other users, managing backup tapes, and handling the equivalent of "support tickets" (mostly via phone or paper in those days)
- datavirtue 5y ago
  Now that person controls access to THE cloud.
admash 5y ago
Operator in this context is similar to administrator. A cognate being "sysop" from the 80s and 90s bulletin-board scene, meaning "system operator".
Joker_vD 5y ago
It means "computer operator": "a role in IT which oversees the running of computer systems, ensuring that the machines, and computers are running properly" [0] ― a rather interesting article to read even on its own. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_operator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_operator
jaggederest 5y ago
"A computer operator is the person responsible for monitoring and controlling computer systems especially mainframe computer systems in a company or organization." It's kind of archaic, now, but back in the day you used to have a computer that filled a whole room and there would be an operator in charge of compiling and running jobs, returning (printed) output, managing user accounts, resources, backups. Sort of analogous to a system administrator on multiple smaller computers used as servers, or the IT guy on personal computers used for work, but much more direct, in that they would actually be the one who operated the computer. Users submitted typed programs that would be input into punchcards and run as a batch, or run on a scheduled basis.
- throwawayHN378 5y ago
  When I was an undergrad student in 2010 I worked part time as a contractor for the state of NY and my official title was “computer operator”. For the most my job was IT support
- whoopdedo 5y ago
  It's not entirely archaic as the title lives on in DevOps.
- DnDGrognard 5y ago
  Normally an "operator" would look after the lower level functions changing tapes.
- datavirtue 5y ago
  Computer operators were not very technical--just trained on the various tasks listed. It was often a low wage job. Not like a more familiar sysadmin of more recent years.
lmilcin 5y ago
Long time ago people could not use computers. You would write down the program you want to get executed or punch it on punch cards. The only people who could actually operate the computer were... the operators. These people (mainly women) would transfer the program to the computer, execute it and then transfer the answer back to the requestor. This survived into later because an admin on the server is was the only person who could actually operate the server. The rest can only within whatever rights the admin gave them, but for any important operation (like adding a user) you still needed the admin (operator) to take action.
- bitwize 5y ago
dijit 5y ago
I remember reading in a book once: Systems Operator: Maintains and runs systems, often works from runbooks, or automated UI's; does not write code, works within the constraints set by Administrators. Level 2 Helpdesk. Systems Administrators: Responsible for writing documentation, addressing the needs of monitoring. Usually the person writing runbooks and scripts, works closely with a Helpdesk and their needs, automates recurrent problems. Level 3 Helpdesk. Systems Engineer: Responsible for architecture, understanding complex systems, working on new projects, making Systems Administrators lives easier. Working with Architects on upcoming projects, likely designed and built the logging solution, database migration systems, job control systems. Systems Architect: Same as a systems engineer except focused on business needs instead of technical ones. Usually works on a higher level of abstraction, often works across many teams to gather needs. This was a book that was "old" when I read it in 2007, so, obviously this no longer reflects reality (if it ever did).
bombcar 5y ago
Operator as in System Operator or sysop- an archaic term for IT administrator from when the computer was a single “system”. Equivalent to root when used.
kgwgk 5y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sysop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sysop
xbar 5y ago
When I first encountered BOFH, I recalled TV commercials on KTLA Channel for Control Data Institute in order to give me context on the "Operator" term. You could train to be a computer programmer, operator, or technician. Seems like a standard term of art for the 1970s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09y4zT18KXM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09y4zT18KXM
lambic 5y ago
My first job was as an operator for a UK bank. The work was: * Putting paper on printers * Taking paper off printers * Decollating the paper that came off printers * Putting tapes into tape drives * Taking tapes out of tape drives The slacking was * Going to the pub before it closed on night shift * Having sword fights with the plastic swords we used to cut paper * Finding an unlocked office and using the phone to call party lines The work highlights were: * Going to a vault and back flanked by security guards to get the Queen's tape * Printing bank statements of the rich and famous (I've seen Mick Jagger's bank account)
mech422 5y ago
Besides 'computer' operator, there used to be 'I/O operator's (tapes) and 'print pool operator' (run printers). Also, in my experience 'computer operators' weren't really 'sysadmins' they were more like automated job scheduling services. Follow the run book, run batch jobs, check for errors sort of thing Source: I've held all 3 positions at one time or another.

jasongill 5y ago

The term would be akin to system administrator now; the sysop was the one who was in charge of the computer (you know, the one computer on a business or school campus that everyone shared via terminals). They would be in charge of monitoring the computer, making sure that users weren't doing anything they weren't supposed to and impacting other users, managing backup tapes, and handling the equivalent of "support tickets" (mostly via phone or paper in those days)

datavirtue 5y ago
Now that person controls access to THE cloud.

admash 5y ago

Operator in this context is similar to administrator. A cognate being "sysop" from the 80s and 90s bulletin-board scene, meaning "system operator".

Joker_vD 5y ago

It means "computer operator": "a role in IT which oversees the running of computer systems, ensuring that the machines, and computers are running properly" [0] ― a rather interesting article to read even on its own. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_operator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_operator

jaggederest 5y ago

"A computer operator is the person responsible for monitoring and controlling computer systems especially mainframe computer systems in a company or organization." It's kind of archaic, now, but back in the day you used to have a computer that filled a whole room and there would be an operator in charge of compiling and running jobs, returning (printed) output, managing user accounts, resources, backups. Sort of analogous to a system administrator on multiple smaller computers used as servers, or the IT guy on personal computers used for work, but much more direct, in that they would actually be the one who operated the computer. Users submitted typed programs that would be input into punchcards and run as a batch, or run on a scheduled basis.

throwawayHN378 5y ago
When I was an undergrad student in 2010 I worked part time as a contractor for the state of NY and my official title was “computer operator”. For the most my job was IT support
whoopdedo 5y ago
It's not entirely archaic as the title lives on in DevOps.
DnDGrognard 5y ago
Normally an "operator" would look after the lower level functions changing tapes.
datavirtue 5y ago
Computer operators were not very technical--just trained on the various tasks listed. It was often a low wage job. Not like a more familiar sysadmin of more recent years.

lmilcin 5y ago

Long time ago people could not use computers. You would write down the program you want to get executed or punch it on punch cards. The only people who could actually operate the computer were... the operators. These people (mainly women) would transfer the program to the computer, execute it and then transfer the answer back to the requestor. This survived into later because an admin on the server is was the only person who could actually operate the server. The rest can only within whatever rights the admin gave them, but for any important operation (like adding a user) you still needed the admin (operator) to take action.

bitwize 5y ago

dijit 5y ago

I remember reading in a book once: Systems Operator: Maintains and runs systems, often works from runbooks, or automated UI's; does not write code, works within the constraints set by Administrators. Level 2 Helpdesk. Systems Administrators: Responsible for writing documentation, addressing the needs of monitoring. Usually the person writing runbooks and scripts, works closely with a Helpdesk and their needs, automates recurrent problems. Level 3 Helpdesk. Systems Engineer: Responsible for architecture, understanding complex systems, working on new projects, making Systems Administrators lives easier. Working with Architects on upcoming projects, likely designed and built the logging solution, database migration systems, job control systems. Systems Architect: Same as a systems engineer except focused on business needs instead of technical ones. Usually works on a higher level of abstraction, often works across many teams to gather needs. This was a book that was "old" when I read it in 2007, so, obviously this no longer reflects reality (if it ever did).

bombcar 5y ago

Operator as in System Operator or sysop- an archaic term for IT administrator from when the computer was a single “system”. Equivalent to root when used.

kgwgk 5y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sysop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sysop

xbar 5y ago

When I first encountered BOFH, I recalled TV commercials on KTLA Channel for Control Data Institute in order to give me context on the "Operator" term. You could train to be a computer programmer, operator, or technician. Seems like a standard term of art for the 1970s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09y4zT18KXM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09y4zT18KXM

lambic 5y ago

My first job was as an operator for a UK bank. The work was: * Putting paper on printers * Taking paper off printers * Decollating the paper that came off printers * Putting tapes into tape drives * Taking tapes out of tape drives The slacking was * Going to the pub before it closed on night shift * Having sword fights with the plastic swords we used to cut paper * Finding an unlocked office and using the phone to call party lines The work highlights were: * Going to a vault and back flanked by security guards to get the Queen's tape * Printing bank statements of the rich and famous (I've seen Mick Jagger's bank account)

mech422 5y ago

Besides 'computer' operator, there used to be 'I/O operator's (tapes) and 'print pool operator' (run printers). Also, in my experience 'computer operators' weren't really 'sysadmins' they were more like automated job scheduling services. Follow the run book, run batch jobs, check for errors sort of thing Source: I've held all 3 positions at one time or another.