First Post from a Lurker

Denise0607

Hi all. I'm Denise. I've actually been a member of TE for 2 years but never posted. However, I have learned A LOT! I remember when I first joined, I was seeking information about the CompTIA exams to join the IT industry. But this forum has provided soooo much more insight than I expected. I had learned so much about so many different careers I never knew existed and was stumped for a while about which direction I should go in.

I found myself frequenting the posts regarding infosec, particularly the offensive side of the aisle. Reading and researching about red teaming led me to r/netsec, r/netsecstudents, security blogs, podcasts, and so much more - which eventually led to interests in other areas of security. Talk about confused! I've never worked in IT or dev before and knew I needed to start somewhere, but couldn't stop myself from falling down the proverbial rabbit hole of security. Information overload. Seriously.

Coincidentally, the more I learned, the more I realized I wasn't ready. The subjects I found myself most interested in and most excited to learn about required more education than I possessed. Reverse engineering, quantum computing, cryptography, and more recently, a growing interest in blockchain development and security. A far cry from the content of CompTIA exams which is what originally brought me here. Lol.

So I decided a while back that I needed to start at the beginning and go back to school to finish a degree. Currently, I'm working my way towards a bachelor's degree in computer science. I wanted a solid foundation to build upon. Eventually, I'll find my niche and hopefully take off from there.

Anyway, I come back here to lurk often. Saw that you guys updated the site - looks great btw!

Sorry for the long post. Just wanted to say HI!! And thanks, TE. For setting me down this path.

sensitivestoic

It's easy to get overwhelmed by IT. I found myself in a similar boat. Been jumping into biometrics, computing ethics, and all sorts of advanced technologies without having a foundational CS/IT academic background. Certifications and sources like this website have been a great way for all of us to get there. Lurkers are always welcome! Glad to have you here Denise.

Meggo

I'm so glad the community has been able to help you! Thanks for sharing!

coextending

Welcome to TE. I agree. There is so many parts of IT, from programming to even data statistics, that picking one feels limiting. Hope to see you around more!

triplea

If I were honest and I've been in IT since about 1991. If you consider the WHOLE SPECTRUM of IT I would say I know about 15-20% well. So dont feel too bad.

....and welcome

Johnhe0414

Welcome! I enjoyed reading your post and hope others will also, this is a great site to share and learn from others.

PC509

While I know that IT is very vast and we'll never know all of it, it's a good sign when people are interested and excited about other aspects outside of their expertise. It's just a real fun industry to be in. You're learning things that aren't applicable to your job description, but you're doing it because it's exciting to you. 

Lots of great, passionate people here. The big downside of passionate people in a wide range of topics is that you'll see an interesting conversation and you'll start wanting to know more about it so you start reading about it. Down the rabbit hole you go. It's fun, but it's easy to get side tracked by all the cool stuff!  

Denise0607

Exactly! Though I'm slightly more focused now than I was 2 years ago, I still get side-tracked on occasion since I spend about an hour or so before bed reading on forums and always manage to find something that makes me want to go down that hole again. I just have to keep reminding myself that I'll never get to do any of those things if I don't get the foundations laid first.

Thanks everyone, for your comments. I appreciate the input!