Where would you rate yourself...

[Fluke]

Where would you rate yourself on knowledge of IT - with maybe a reasoning as to why. Vague question I know, but I think it might be mildly interesting.

Breaking it down into these rather broad categories, because why not:

• Server OS
  7/10
  
  Desktop OS
  8/10
  
  Unix OS
  3/10
  
  Virtualization
  7/10
  
  Networking
  6/10
  
  Infrastructure and implementation
  7/10
  
  Software applications
  6/10
  
  Hardware
  8/10
  
  Programming
  2/10

[Ryall]

Ah well you made this easier for me. I start with you as a known benchmark for this scale, and subtract 2 from all your scores, except for server OS (0), hardware (3) and programming (0.5). Virtualization and infrastructure might also be 0 for me considering I am not sure what those are.

Software applications I will give myself a 5 because I know the Microsoft Office Suite fairly well (I don't program macros in Excel but I know all the default buttons and ribbons). :p

[Rakuen Growlithe]

I find those categories disturbing. Unix OS is different to desktop OS? It's also weird that software applications is separate since most use of a desktop OS is through software applications, right? Unless of course, I just don't understand what you're getting at. I'm not sure if this based on ability to use these things or some sort of understanding of the internal workings or what. Confusion aside, I would guess knowledge is much higher than average but lower than that of professionals.

How should I interpret those numbers? Is 5 average? Would average be average for the population or average for people using it? I'm not a professional programmer and I don't know all the theory but I know some bash, a little Python and am pretty good with R. I would guess that puts me waaaay above the average person in general but I guess below average for programmers. If the number is an absolute measure of knowledge then it's completely vulnerable to the Dunning Kruger effect. I can't say how much about virtualisation I know because I don't know enough to judge. I understand the concept and that's about it. But maybe there's not much to it?

[Fluke]

Ehh you over thought it. Lets just call Desktop OS Windows and Mac OSX.
And 0 being knowing nothing, 10 being an absolute expert in the field or about it. 5 is not the average for the general population. So it's more how you feel about yourself.

[Franky]

It depends on where you set these bars. I mean 8/10 for hardware? Do you work for silicone valley? Cause i can assure you no one there would judge themselves that high. The same with os knowladge. I know what is meant to know for my job and more but saying I know windows server in and out is putting your knowladge = to the entirety of microsoft's engineering staff.

[Faanvolla]

Not quite getting it, but I'll give it a go
Server OS
0/10
Desktop OS
7/10
Unix OS
2/10
Virtualization
2/10
Networking
2/10
Infrastructure and implementation
1/10
Software applications
6/10
Hardware
3/10
Programming
6/10
X