Meet a Helpful Human – Norman Dumond

Responsive, helpful, and dedicated in ways automation simply can’t be. We’re your team.

Each month, we recognize one of our Most Helpful Humans in Hosting. 

Norman Dumond has worn many hats, with experience ranging from jobs in construction and demolition to food service and hazardous materials abatement. Currently, he owns a farm where he produces USDA-inspected meats and operates a food warehouse. Dumond’s real passion, however, is technology. He has worked with computers since he was very young. 

His interest in computing began when his father brought home a Commodore 64. Early computing experiences included teaching himself to write code in the Commodore Basic language, enjoying The Oregon Trail, and sending messages on IBM desktops at his elementary school. When Dumond was introduced to the Linux operating system, countless doors in computing opened for him. While still in high school, Dumond landed his first tech job at a cable company and eventually went to college for a more formal education. 

He has been with Liquid Web since he started his role as a Linux Systems Administrator in 2010. 

Liquid Web was known in the community as a place where technical-minded individuals could find employment, a flexible schedule, and an educationally-nurturing environment for personal growth. The company has a bright future and a good name in the community, making me proud to be a part of it. 

My prior experience with server environments and customer service makes this industry a good fit for my talents. I’ve experimented with both Apache and IIS web servers in the mid-90s shortly after their release. I’ve also worked with Novel Netware client server configurations, file transfer protocol (FTP) server applications, email server applications, Internet relay chat (IRC) servers, and the ever-popular webcam sites of years past. 

The tone in which my clients express their extreme gratitude tells me how much of a difference I have made. Going from “I have a problem!” to “You fixed all my problems!” is often the indication I receive that I have made a positive difference. Liquid Web gives me the autonomy necessary to use the scientific method to guide my troubleshooting. I am not required to read from a script or try one thing after another that may not relate to the issue. This job allows me to control my work, enabling me to quickly solve problems with the best possible outcome.

All of my coworkers are very willing to help one another and share any information they might have on an issue.  Our internal help channel chat provides technicians a place to ask questions and receive advice from coworkers. Collaboration occurs in this chat multiple times per day from many technicians with different skill sets and technical backgrounds. This sort of collaboration allows me to take care of any issues that arise for my customers as quickly and smoothly as possible. 

At Liquid Web, there is a nice balance between work and play that is hard to find at companies these days. A few years ago, I was busy working and had my head down. When I looked up, everyone working that shift was standing around me—with Nerf Dart guns aimed in my direction. I was bombarded. Luckily, I had a Nerf gun too, and I returned fire. It’s these moments that showcase the cultural differences between Liquid Web and other employers.

I’m known for a stellar attendance record, excellent customer satisfaction ratings, and an ability to complete large amounts of work in a short time while still maintaining quality. I arrive to work 15 minutes early when coming into the office, and I make myself available for work 15 minutes before the general start of the day when I’m working from home. I attribute my satisfaction ratings and my ability to complete large amounts of work in a short period to my experience. I can often confidently answer questions without reading the documentation before doing so because I have “done the thing” many times before.

When requesting support for an issue, it’s best to provide a list of symptoms, specific dates and times (with time zone) of any problems, as well as any patterns observed. Like an interaction with your doctor, you want to allow the technician to come to their own conclusion based on their experience and review. Self-diagnosis without sufficient experience can often lead to an incorrect assumption, which can steer the troubleshooting process into the weeds and in directions that aren’t productive. It is best to stick to the facts, provide observations, and allow the technician to use their know-how to determine the cause of and resolution to the issue at hand.

I love camping, canoeing, boating, fishing, cooking, land management, and farming. I also enjoy personal study in the fields of nuclear physics and thermodynamics.

Norman Dumond fishing on his wedding day at the venue just hours before he was hitched.

I live far out in the country in rural America. As such, cellular coverage can be less than optimal. I use Network Cell Info Lite for Android to help locate spots in my home and around my farm that have the best cellular coverage.