Exploring the inner thoughts of IT Pros

This week, we're asking about work: what you hate, love, and do all day. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ [View in browser]( [Spiceworks]( Over the weekend, Americans spent a lot of time celebrating America, and this newsletter is going out on the most American holiday of all, Independence Day. Most days I try to keep my global perspective, but today I couldn't resist. Hopefully you were able to eat a hotdog, admire a fireworks show (even if it's streamed), or play outside this weekend. If not, this week's spicy picks should be just as enjoyable. [SpiceRex]( [SpiceRex]( Spiceworks Community [Independence Day wishes]( The United States celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4 each year. It's commonly associated with picnics, grilled food, family and friends, and fireworks. And of course, freedom. With the spirit of the holiday in the air, [Peter (Spiceworks)]( compiled a list of four things that are a constant thorn in IT pros' sides. Maybe one day we'll be able to declare independence from these annoyances. [They May Take Our Stapler, But They Will Never Take Our Admin Rights!]( [It’s time to take the pulse of the IT industry]( 2023 has been quite eventful, with skyrocketing IT expenses, cyber espionage moving from theory to common practice, and AI hallucinating reality. IT pros have a lot to juggle as they keep things running while also planning for the future. Spiceworks' annual State of IT survey is your opportunity to share your thoughts about the industry. Your insights will help guide technology brands and may even inspire some new products. [Influence your world »]( [Voice of IT]( [What we do in the shadows]( For the technologically challenged, the world of an IT professional is a mystery. To them, "tech people" always know exactly what is wrong, fix things just by walking into a room, and spend their whole day in front of a computer keeping hackers out. But we know that's not really how we spend the 40 to 60 hours (sometimes more) that we dedicate to our jobs each week. This week's poll invites you to share what tasks you do all day, so the myth that all we do is change the toner in the printer can finally be put to rest. [All in a day's work »]( What else we've been reading this week: [Pepsi is launching a condiment made specifically for hot dogs]( The Hill If you happen to be attending a classic American baseball game at one of four select Major League Baseball ballparks on July 4, you can sample "Colachup," a new condiment developed by Pepsi and the Culinary Institute of America. [This is what AI thinks people from each of the 50 US states look like]( My Modern Met What exactly does AI think its human overlords look like? Somebody asked Midjourney what a typical person from each American state looked like, and it delivered. We'll let you judge the results. [Sony's confidential PlayStation secrets just spilled because of a Sharpie]( The Verge We can acknowledge that things posted on the internet will exist forever, but we still believe we can redact information from printed documents. Using a marker to cross out sensitive information could work—until a high-resolution scanner reveals the hidden text. [6 stories of aliens and the unexplained that are just out of this world]( Atlas Obscura June 30 was World UFO Day. It doesn't matter if you believe unidentified flying objects are literally just things we don't have an explanation for or if you're confident they're crafts piloted by aliens; these six stories are strange. [This chatbot gives phone call scammers a taste of their own medicine]( PCMag The worst thing you can do to a scammer is prevent them from finding their next target. Chatbots can easily accomplish this. FYI: This was the story in Snap! that had the most community votes last week. Did you find today's newsletter helpful? [Thumbs Up]( [Thumbs Down]( [Spiceworks]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to Spiceworks Newsletter. Don't want to receive these emails? No problem, simply click on the “Manage Subscriptions” link below to update your preferences. 301 Congress Avenue, Suite 600, Austin, TX 78701 [www.spiceworks.com]( [MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS]( [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [COMMUNITY]( [PRIVACY POLICY](