I was recently playing with the Hebrew translation in ServiceNow and I came across something interesting while looking at the translation for “Service Catalog.”  Apparently, in Hebrew “Services” is the same translation as “toilets.”  Don’t believe me?  I couldn’t believe it either, so I had to confirm it in Google Translate…

services and toilets in hebrew

Services and Toilets in Hebrew

 

 

 

 

 

Since I know a little Hebrew, I was kind of puzzled with reading something that said “Toilets Catalog.”  Needless to say, I had to take this IT matter to my wife who is fluent in the language (the first, and probably the only, time I would take an IT issue to her for counsel).  With no fault to the Academy of the Hebrew Language, my wife confirmed that the translation is correct and she didn’t really see the same humor.

I couldn’t resist Tweeting out my discovery and the responses have been pretty funny.  All joking aside, I have come to realize that IT Toilet Management (ITTM) may be the next evolution for IT Service Management.  Here’s my top 10 list of reasons for making the change….

  1. In ITSM we really deal with a lot of crap.  From people to processes, and all the archaic technology in between, it’s far from a stress-free environment without problems.  Since we try to make IT a better place by dealing with crap, how is that any different from a toilet’s job?
  2. In the book, Introduction to Real ITSM by the IT Skeptic, there’s a great job description called “Dreck Manager.”  I see this as a viable role in ITTM.
  3. I’ve heard my colleagues state that “IT Service Management is dead.”  Since ITSM is dead, it’s time for ITTM to rise!
  4. At parties, there will be a lot less questions when you tell people you work in IT Toilet Management.
  5. Problem Management and Plunger Management both start with the letter “p.”  There won’t be as much work to rewrite the frameworks, and both processes essentially do the same thing.
  6. Certifications such as “Toilet Foundation,” “Toilet Expert,” and “Toilet Master” could double as certifications in both ITTM and the plumbing community (thanks to Daniel Breston for this one).
  7. A new library titled “Plumbing and Information Technology Library”, or PAITL, could be written that actually contains information for applying processes (such as how to plunge a toilet).  Not only that, the readership would probably be quadrupled since amateur plumbers will buy the books, helping Axelos to get their ROI sooner.
  8. PAITL would still be relevant when it’s published.  How often do processes in plumbing really change?
  9. Describing ITTM to the IT community would be much easier.  Everyone loves plumbing analogies.
  10. We could rename “Service Catalog” to “Toilets Catalog,” proving that once again, ServiceNow is leading the vendor community in innovation.

 

I could carry on with a few additional reasons, but I’d rather let others in the community add to the list.  Needless to say, I’m glad others have humor in our industry – it’s boring enough without it.

 

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Started working in IT in 1999 as a support desk analyst as a way to help pay for food during college. Studied Electrical Engineering for two years before realizing biochemistry was more fun than differential equations, and so ultimately graduated with a Biology degree in 2006. Having (reluctantly) failed at getting accepted into dental school, embraced working in IT and has gone broke becoming an ITIL Expert. Likes to jog, sing camp songs, quote Mel Brooks movie lines and make dumb jokes and loves working for an Israeli tech company where December 25th is a regular work day.