Non-Standard Credentials

I worked for Hudson ISD beginning 2005, first as a student aide then once I turned 15 I became an official employee. The reason they had found me was because I had a game (exe) on the network in my personal folder. I had asked my Geometry teacher if I could turn it in as an assignment instead of the homework… because I forgot about the homework.

Initially I started as a PC Tech, but they found me more useful in being trained on how to develop the website. I conveniently already knew PHP, which our internal portal was built on. I worked with my coworker most of the summer on this internal portal dubbed the Workbench. It was essentially just  Timesheets, a Daily Dilbert comic, and that was about it. 

In 2008 or so my coworker had left. No one else in the school knew how to achieve anything with PHP. Our Email & System Administrator was also heading into retirement. I proposed we switch to Google’s mail system, Gmail. Despite much pushback on how it operates, or the fact that they have to learn something new, it stuck.

Just a short time prior, I had changed the Workbench from Workbench to Employee Console. The reason for this was that someone had approached administration at the school and promised them that they could develop a system to do teacher evaluations on blackberrys. I took this idea and ran with it since they couldn’t deliver and it had been months. I created the evaluations with ease, expanding out of our internal-to-IT Workbench. These used an XML format that could be kept outside of a database. From this point I had noticed that I was having to touch a lot of PC’s (especially in a lab) and did not want to have to login and sit at each  one.

Hardly anything was automated. The tools to achieve any basic level of automation for what was then Windows XP was too expensive. We were still using Groupwise and Novell for the email and logins. Since many of the applications back then did not support a silent/quiet install, I had to find a way to move the mouse to install it anyway. I called it AMMT, for Automatic Mouse Mover Thing, which is essentially robotic process automation. It worked very well, except one time that I was trying to show someone what it can do and it glitched and they had to retype their paper. Luckily they weren’t far into it. 

Around 2009 I had done the full migration to Gmail from Groupwise. I was able to pull this off only because the Employee Console did not hash their passwords. So if they had ever signed into it then they would be migrated. This covered the majority of the campus. I know some cringe about me having that much control and authority in High School or as a graduate thereof. Taking note, I did not cause any significant problems or abuse it for malicious means. I spent more time in the IT office than I did in class, but when I did traverse the dimensions it was to a small group. 

I continued to build out my software and something I called myHISD. myHISD was a Java application (outside of the C# client/service + LAMP backend) that took Google’s APIs and set up their Drive, Calendar, Contacts, etc. so that teachers could access a certain folder from them and that students had all their test dates on a calendar. Unfortunately the pay did come with it because no one believed I was capable of anything. Our previous boss had left and we were given a new one that was also head of maintenance. All I remember is that he said “Verizon” does not have wireless at all. I remember arguing and trying to explain that my phone is Verizon (DROID), but he was just that way I guess.

In addition to myHISD was the inventory. You basically put a QR code on the device and you can pull up exactly what device it is and assign the appropriate location on it. Along with AMMT, I had created a map to get a better idea of where computers were needed and how old they all were. 

My best friend at the time got me a job for Memorial Hospital. A few months later they announced that it was bought out by CHI and brought into the regional hospital chain. allying CHI St. Luke’s. 

When I first started they were doing the migration of Windows XP to Windows 7. They for whatever reason had no other way to upgrade the PC than to replace the hard drives. While I prefer the 3-5 year replacement rule, they didn’t want to replace any at the time so we had to work with what we had.

I found online MDT and began to set it up on a PC we carried around with us campus by campus, so we didn’t over-saturate the T1 line between them.

While I was there I addressed a major security concern for back then – Java, Flash, Adobe were all culprits for getting hacked. My boss gave me a list of what our antivirus detected. I asked for some software – PDQ Inventory & PDQ Deploy – about $1000 total. I was able to update everything as needed, deploy Java, Flash, hospital clients, etc.. 

I typically was able to handle IT requests so rapidly (with it being automated) that I would need something else to do. One of the volunteers had put a request in for something to make badges. I built a super easy C# application that worked with a Dymo LabelWriter 450 – a quick task that saved countless hours. My boss had also tasked me with making a front end for some data they had in a database for wound care. It was time consuming, but I did it.

I ended up putting in my resignation 1 month in advance. Some complications I was having in real life that I  don’t typically talk about. 

A few years later, around 2017/2018, I got a job for CMS Ip Technologies. I had never worked for a Managed Service Provider before, but I gave it a shot. It wasn’t near as laid back as Hudson or CHI. I was learning some of it, like Fortigate, and had a Senior Engineer at least at first. Eventually it got really strange, we had 3 people quit and 1 of those relocate. The whole office was left to myself and a work friend. 

I set up MDT here as well so we could deploy up to 8 PC’s at a time and provide a more “white glove” experience. While it wasn’t 100% “white glove” it was a step in that direction. 

Towards the end of my job at CMS I worked a little bit at the ISP in Livingston. I had been offered the job making more pay, but would seemingly have lost that amount rapidly due to travel and gas prices. Regardless, I got sick and they had to let me go due to sick leave being exhausted. 

Ah, Skitzen Technology Services.

I started STS in December of 2021. I had a long list of what I could offer and initially it was a membership “research” program. You would pay say, $30 a / month and get a monthly credit of 1 hour.

Unfortunately I wasn’t exactly at the best time in my life. I was battling a criminal charge from a former friend and his now wife. 

Regardless, I didn’t give up.  It more or less became a lab that I called Skitzen Labs. Blur.SBS, that blurs faces in video, was an example venture from Skitzen. Eanix was another would that I couldn’t really pin anything to. It had a wide variety of services offered from storage in a decentralized cloud to set up and installation of open source alternatives.

For Skitzen, I was the engineer, marketing, sales, all in one. I tried to get near free advertising by using an affiliate program, but was having people willing to sign up for that too.

Unfortunately, I was swatted which led me to calling 911 and saying something inappropriate, despite one of them knowing me and trying to call me at all times of the night. The charges have not stuck yet and I am still not indicted, but I was kept in jail for 6 months still unindicted. In this time I lost all my backups, customers, etc.. Don’t get me wrong, I was not swatting anyone myself and never had. I’ve heard of cases where they get hit for 5+ years, but that was with intent. I had no intentions of stirring anything up at all and at the time was incapable of thinking of the repercussions. In this case, I was a victim. 

I can now say I definitely have learned my lesson. I was about to have it done right with a pre-paid credit card from my business bank. From now on I will strictly empower the customer and ensure that they have an “exit strategy” at all times in the event that something was to happen to me. As a political advocate and conspiracy theorist, there is no telling what could happen next. I have probably faced death daily for a decent portion of the last 7 years. It never officially stops though.

Angelina College  was just like Hudson ISD, very laid back and the health insurance is stupendous. I know I somewhat came on strong with my ideas and suggestions. I am a little bit upset as we were all slowly getting to know each other. My boss ended up moving to be the software developer for the college, which was offered to me if I waited 3 years  for his retirement. I was also offered by the dean business and technology to teach I believe the mobile development classes. 

One of the first motions I made was to purchase licenses for PDQ. I never fully understood the way they react. All hands on deck is used far too often and it is definitely not an approach to a virus that spreading throughout the district. Unfortunately I was not able to get to show off what I could pull off, especially as the Windows 10 EOL nears us.

This time I stood no chance since I had no-call no-show for being in jail. My mom told then I was in the hospital, which was true at the time, but for whatever reason they didn’t do much the first time around.