Here's how you can effectively network with other system administrators.

If you spend a few minutes every day reading several question and answer sessions from a pertinent forum, you will begin to learn many of the basic gotcha's that surround a particular platform or technology. Most administrators suffer from a well known problem. We don't know, what we don't know. Many of us aren't even given the blessing of administrative classes. We don't learn a technology from the ground up, we learn what is required to successfully build out our own environment. This is why I recommend that new administrators spend time reading forum question and answer sessions. By doing this you can often learn the answer to a question you didn't even know you needed until you read the article.

If you are blessed to work for a company that will spend the money to attend events, by all means go! You will have the opportunity to attend 10 to 20 learning sessions that give you a quick overview of what a technology offers. But you will also have the opportunity to meet other professionals some of which may well become true colleages and friends. Having relationships that you have forged with other professionals in classes and over drinks and dinner is invaluable. You are doing the same job, and you will face many of the same difficulties. A phone call to a friend who just performed and upgrade or an expansion that you are preparing to do can resolve many issues before you even face them.

If you work for a company that attends trade shows or industry technology conferences, you should absolutely try to go and represent your company at them. Often times these types of events are just as much of sales and marketing events as they are technical events, so not only do you have the opportunity to network with other IT administrators and engineers, but you have the opportunity to see your company from a client focused perspective. That is highly valuable as well.

Nothing beats that face-to-face interaction. It doesn't even really matter what the event is, as long as it draws the kind of nerds you're looking for. You'll end up talking to people who know people who know people. Don't forget to bring a stack of contact cards.

There are certain requirements that are understood when you create and share content. First that you are certain the content you offer is in fact correct. Second that you may well receive questions about that content and you are expected to respond in a timely manner. Having said that, becoming a mentor in any capacity gives meaning to the work that you have put forth to learn everything you know. This is a time honored part of the human condition, and one which is rewarding for all who participate in it, both the giver and the receiver. If you have knowledge share it. If you need knowledge, look for a content creator whose style you enjoy. Both parties will be blessed.