That’s where the massively popular ‘IT Humor and Memes’ online community comes in. Members of this Facebook group share some wonderfully funny content, and we’ve collected some of their wittiest and freshest posts to bring a smile to your faces, dear Pandas. Scroll down to check them out! We reached out to the creator of the awesome group, Trevor Paquette, and he was kind enough to answer our questions about thriving in IT as a professional and how AI might affect employees in the industry in the future. Read on for Bored Panda’s interview with him, including why it helps to be adaptable and curious. It’s vital that IT professionals don’t become too set in their ways, otherwise, the industry is apt to leave them behind. “This includes the ‘I only have a hammer, so everything is a nail’ mentality; aka: OS [operating system] bias,” Paquette shared. Bored Panda was curious to get Paquette’s thoughts on how AI might affect IT workers in the future. After all, many employees in various industries are low-key worried that they might be replaced at some point, leaving them out of a job. “As we’ve seen in the past year, the integration of Generative AI tools in the workplace is causing some anxiety about job security. Word to the wise for the decision makers: AI is not the silver bullet, cost-cutting Pangaea many companies tout it to be. At least not yet,” Paquette warned. In Paquette’s opinion, in many cases, AI is more likely to “augment the capabilities of IT professionals rather than replace them.” He told Bored Panda that, for instance, “AI can handle repetitive tasks, data analysis, and even some levels of customer service, which can free up IT employees to focus on more complex, creative, or strategic tasks that require human oversight.” On top of that, there’s a growing demand for professionals who can develop, maintain, and manage AI tools. This, according to Paquette, could lead to new job opportunities in the IT sphere. “Emphasizing continuous learning and adaptability will be key for IT professionals to leverage AI as a tool for enhancing their roles rather than viewing it as a threat.” Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates embraced internet technology the most. As of April 2023, 99% of their population used the internet. On the other hand, barely anyone has internet access in North Korea. Internet use is the most widespread among young individuals between 15 and 24 years of age, no matter what part of the world we’re talking about. Meanwhile, internet access is closely correlated with a country’s income level. For example, 92% of the population of high-income countries use the internet. Compare that to barely 26% of the population of low-income nations. According to the team running ‘IT Humor and Memes,’ the group is meant to be a “small corner in the big Facebook world” for the sake of letting off a little steam. In short, it’s all about escapism and having a bit of fun. However, the team points out that humor is a very subjective thing. Many of us have a different sense of humor. So, there will be moments when something that we find utterly hilarious might not get the audience cracking up. On the flip side, someone’s jokes might not land with us either. There will also be times when you need very specific IT knowledge or context to ‘get’ the joke. In other words, it’s a reminder to be kind and courteous to everyone. What’s more, the team running the group has created a rule that an account has to be at least 1 month old to participate in the community. Simply put, the group is so big that there’s a backlog of pending posts. During a previous interview with Bored Panda, the creator of ‘IT Humor and Memes,’ Paquette, told one of our colleagues about the roots of the group. “I created the group when I realized there was a lack of general IT meme groups. The keyword there is ‘general.’ There were developer/programmer groups, the odd networking group, a few hacker groups, but no general IT ones I could find. The posts I submitted to an IT support group tended to get lost in all of the great support questions being asked. So, I thought, ‘Why not start a general IT humor group?’” Paquette said. “For some of the posts, it definitely helps to have a background in some aspect of IT, whether it be programming, networking, cybersecurity, administration, or tech support. The play on words and concepts can be somewhat confusing if you don’t understand them,” the creator explained. For Paquette, one of the best parts of working in IT is that it’s always changing. “There’s something more or something new to learn. Never a dull moment as the underlying technologies advance and change. There’s always a way to look at a problem differently, and for the most part, if you need help, someone else has usually encountered the issue you are having and might be able to help,” he said. Some posts and discussions on the group get closed down because they get a bit too tense. What first got him interested in computers was a classmate who brought his Apple II+ to school to show them the ‘Lunar Lander’ video game. “My mind was blown. I knew at that moment I wanted to program and work with computers as a career,” Paquette said. “Over the years, I’ve gained loads of experience in software development, system administration, DB management, vendor management; you name it, I’ve probably touched on it from doing the work, all the way to managing others that do the work.” Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! 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