In November 2018, the first-ever IT Blog Awards, hosted by Cisco, set off on a mission to recognize some of the best blogs in the tech industry. One thing was abundantly clear: Our community is full of hardworking bloggers. As a result, we wanted to help highlight some of these great blogs while finding a fun way to reward folks. This time around, it was with a full-access pass to Cisco Live. This is part of our broader engagement with the community of technical influencers which also includes the Cisco Champions program, Tech Field Day, and more.
We were thrilled. The response was tremendous. And the competition? Absolutely fierce. Thankfully, your humble hosts at Cisco didn’t have to go at it alone. We turned it over to you, our beloved tech community, to cast over 2,000 votes and help determine the winners in each of the seven categories.
Without further ado, it is our pleasure to share a quick Q&A answered by Daniel Dib, winner in the Most Inspirational category, who has managed his networking blog since 2010. Read on to learn about where he started, what motivates him and his advice to anyone thinking about starting a blog of their own.
How did you start your career in tech? What has been your journey?
I’ve always had an interest in technology. As a kid I like to play with radios.
When I got older I started playing games on the Nintendo, then the Commodore 64, after that the Amiga 500 and then finally PCs.
I started studying a networking programme at a university and felt immediately at home. It was also a Cisco networking academy.
After my studies I started working for a service provider and my career took off from there.
How did you get into blogging?
I started blogging as I was preparing for the CCIE RS certification. I saw it as a way to put my notes online so that others could get help from them and also to provide me feedback.
What motivates you as a blogger?
I am very passionate about giving others the tools they need to succeed and I want everyone to have the same opportunity I had to succeed in this industry. There is a lot of misguided advice out there and I always try to balance the field and to advise my readers to focus on fundamentals and building a solid book of knowledge.
What advice can you give to anyone interested in starting their own blog?
Just do it! It can be scary at first but the rewards are great if you go through with it. You will learn a lot that you can use at work as well. Such as knowing how to write properly and writing interesting stories.
You won in the Most Inspirational category. How do you find inspiration for your blog?
I get inspiration from everything that is happening in the industry. There is a lot of buzz out there and I try to balance the message a bit to help especially those new to the industry to build their own path towards success. I take great pride in hearing back from readers and people that have found my guidance valuable.
Last question: if you were a networking product or solution, what would it be and why?
I’d probably be a SD-WAN router. I am a person that is very analytical and such is the SD-WAN router as well :).
What did you think? What inspires you? Add a comment below.
Want to receive updates on the 2019 IT Blog Awards?
Send an email to it-blog-awards@cisco.com.
Great blog Amilee, loved learning about the IT blog awards and the interview was a good read too. Keep them coming
Thanks for sharing this. I know Daniel and his skills and approaches, he is one of the most structured and skilled folks around. Thanks for Cisco as well for arranging these programs and keeping folks motivated.