“Is the network down?” I get this question more than I believe I should at work. Users will call me and meet me in the halls and ask if the computer network is down because they cannot reach their favorite website, or watch an online video, or open an email. True story. The network is usually never down, it is often the use of the network that is causing the issue. When I get questions like is the network down I cannot help but think of the tale of Chicken Little.
Chicken Little is a film from 1943 in which the protagonist Chicken is told by another bird that the sky is falling. The film was written during the war to warn people about the hazards of mass hysteria. Chicken Little spread the word that the sky was falling to all the other animals he meet and there were consequences.
Mass hysteria happens and is usually triggered by stress. The workplace can be pretty stressful and it is a nice coping mechanism to be able to blame un connected issues on a boogey man however it is not always a productive or healthy way to behave.
Mass hysteria can create psychological distress and it seems to be contagious. So taking a deep breath and investigating issues or problems can go along way for ones own and their communities health. I grew up a nervous child, and sometimes I found many stresses in the world but my mom would remind me to breath and count to ten when presented with a nervous situation.
So lets all take a breath count to ten and then dive in.
The Corrigan Encore 