Slashdot Mirror
Software Exorcism
Mark Burroughs writes "Leave it to a SubGenius preacher to take normally mundane subjects, like software maintenance, and expose the unholy conspiracy behind them. I think the following quote from the introduction sums up the tone of the book nicely: 'Rather than shield your eyes from the sordid realities of the software industry, I am going to dust off my old 8mm films and let you take a good look at the uncensored truth for yourself. You may want to keep a paper bag handy in case you get sick.'" You know you want to read on for the rest of Burrough's review.
Software Exorcism
author
Right Reverend Bill Blunden
pages
351
publisher
Apress
rating
two thumbs up
reviewer
Mark Burroughs
ISBN
1590592344
summary
Tactics for Maintaining Legacy Code
Reverend Blunden's sermons focus on things that the college professors, in their tweedy jackets, will never talk about. As such, this book should be required reading by computer science majors, who often have a number of misconceptions concerning the industry that they are about to enter.
I doubt very highly that your instructors will tell you how to handle all the nasty little things that can occur when humans work in groups: backstabbing, stonewalling, sabotage, etc. The sad truth is that the people who do actually learn about these tactics (under the guise of "organizational behavior") are MBAs, the people who end up being managers. Folks, the deck has been stacked: The MBAs have been given whips, and the CS majors have all been given saddles. It's called animal husbandry; ... now go look up the word "cull."
Glancing at the back cover of the book, Reverend Blunden looks like the type of subversive individual that the ATF would like to have a chat with. As such, he is not one to let the reader leave without a few useful weapons (some of which may be questionable from a legal standpoint ... but hey, business is war). For example, the book tells you construct a paper trail so that even the shiftiest weasel cannot switch sides if it's suddenly convenient. Reverend Blunden even goes so far to refer the reader to a vault purveyor in New York so that evidence can be stored securely at home (hint: it's sure as hell not safe at the office). Don't kid yourself; a solid paper trail can save you during a witch-hunt.
The book also looks at how to deal with legacy code in situations where internal competition has encouraged people to hoard information, or to escape responsibility via promotion (i.e. VPs have been known to develop amnesia about the code they worked on). It explains the forces that cause these shenanigans to occur and then describes how to flush the guilty party out into the open, where their slimy tactics won't work. As before, generating a trail of evidence and possessing a degree of intellectual humility go a long way.
Then there is privacy, an issue that employers will definitely try to skirt. Management types tend to be keen on metrics to measure productivity. In addition, software engineers typically have access to code, or algorithms, that may be considered proprietary secrets. This has led many companies to monitor their engineers in some way or another (i.e. key loggers, remote desktops, sniffers, TEMPEST, etc.). Reverend Blunden provides a couple of easy, but extremely effective, counter tactics that the reader can use to foil this kind of Big Brother antics.
At the end of the day, Reverend Blunden tells it like it is. He hasn't been bought off and he doesn't have an agenda. His only goal is to warn new hires about the various landmines that exist, buried under the polite exterior of the corporate landscape. You may not like what he has to say, but no one ever said that software engineering was a pretty job. If they did, they were telling you a lie. Praise Bob.
Reverend Blunden's sermons focus on things that the college professors, in their tweedy jackets, will never talk about. As such, this book should be required reading by computer science majors, who often have a number of misconceptions concerning the industry that they are about to enter.
I doubt very highly that your instructors will tell you how to handle all the nasty little things that can occur when humans work in groups: backstabbing, stonewalling, sabotage, etc. The sad truth is that the people who do actually learn about these tactics (under the guise of "organizational behavior") are MBAs, the people who end up being managers. Folks, the deck has been stacked: The MBAs have been given whips, and the CS majors have all been given saddles. It's called animal husbandry; ... now go look up the word "cull."
Glancing at the back cover of the book, Reverend Blunden looks like the type of subversive individual that the ATF would like to have a chat with. As such, he is not one to let the reader leave without a few useful weapons (some of which may be questionable from a legal standpoint ... but hey, business is war). For example, the book tells you construct a paper trail so that even the shiftiest weasel cannot switch sides if it's suddenly convenient. Reverend Blunden even goes so far to refer the reader to a vault purveyor in New York so that evidence can be stored securely at home (hint: it's sure as hell not safe at the office). Don't kid yourself; a solid paper trail can save you during a witch-hunt.
The book also looks at how to deal with legacy code in situations where internal competition has encouraged people to hoard information, or to escape responsibility via promotion (i.e. VPs have been known to develop amnesia about the code they worked on). It explains the forces that cause these shenanigans to occur and then describes how to flush the guilty party out into the open, where their slimy tactics won't work. As before, generating a trail of evidence and possessing a degree of intellectual humility go a long way.
Then there is privacy, an issue that employers will definitely try to skirt. Management types tend to be keen on metrics to measure productivity. In addition, software engineers typically have access to code, or algorithms, that may be considered proprietary secrets. This has led many companies to monitor their engineers in some way or another (i.e. key loggers, remote desktops, sniffers, TEMPEST, etc.). Reverend Blunden provides a couple of easy, but extremely effective, counter tactics that the reader can use to foil this kind of Big Brother antics.
At the end of the day, Reverend Blunden tells it like it is. He hasn't been bought off and he doesn't have an agenda. His only goal is to warn new hires about the various landmines that exist, buried under the polite exterior of the corporate landscape. You may not like what he has to say, but no one ever said that software engineering was a pretty job. If they did, they were telling you a lie. Praise Bob.
You can purchase Software Exorcism from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
I doubt very highly that your instructors will tell you how to handle all the nasty little things that can occur when humans work in groups: backstabbing, stonewalling, sabotage, etc.
Self-employment worked for me. The boss is still a jerk, but he's my kind of jerk.
I can't remember the last time I saw a prof wearing long pants, let alone a tweedy jacket.
He hasn't been bought off and he doesn't have an agenda. His only goal is to warn new hires about the various landmines that exist, buried under the polite exterior of the corporate landscape. You may not like what he has to say, but no one ever said that software engineering was a pretty job. If they did, they were telling you a lie.
Ahhh, yes. Another treatise on how The Man is tapdancing on our heads.
Alternatively, we could read books on how to help create environments that are mutually advantageous, supportive positive experiences rather than focusing on heading off to another dreary color washed existence where we hate our bosses and hate our jobs.
Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
So ... the book deals with the "seedier" side of computer science (things like privacy ... gasp!), and is required reading for people entering the field ...
/. !!! Same stuff, only it's free, has stories that are continuously duplic^H^H^H^H^H^Hupdated, and a lively and informative userbase ... why go for a book instead?
Hell, just have them read
topreacher@signature.slashdot.org 1% rm -rf sig
I thought the owner was insane, so I just ignored it. It would never surprise me now if I learned that she had spied on me. Of course, maybe that was brought on by the paranoia of reading something that, like this book, promotes paranoia.
Can I bum a sig?
I need an old programmer and a young programmer.
The power of Christ compels you...to compile!
Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.
1. Tell the truth. 2. Stay out of other people's business. 3. Do the right thing.
Yes, there are some things that can't be avoided. If you are under attack by someone trying to get ahead or find a scapegoat, you have to defend yourself. But, even in these situations, there are choices.
I always save my last mod point to mod up a good troll. You people are too serious.
Barnes and Noble affiliate sales up their asses.
You don't have to. Go for a doctorate and a cushy government paid academic career. You don't have to really work for the rest of your life.
Amazon has this book for $3.50 cheaper than bn
I'm still boycotting amazon because of their 1-click garbage, you, insensitive clod...
Jobs? Which jobs?
FFS. This is happening with _every_ book review.
Will the Editors wise up and BAN AFFILIATE LINKS?
"Elmo knows where you live!" - The Simpsons
Is it something like this?
Batlock...
This review makes it sound like "Tin Foil Hats for Dummies". Yes, I am a conspiracy theorist. Yes, HR has to reply to me via email, perticularly how they can justify working salaried employees past 40 hours a week while paying them less than $27/hour in direct violation of the FSLA. Yes I move all of my personal/HR emails offsite. Yes, I encrypt when necessary... but TEMPEST?
Cmon, TEMPEST shielding is like putting up a grounded copper cage around my cube. I don't necessarily trust my management to make sound IS/IT decisions, but some common sense will go a long way in covering your ass. No, I'm not new here, but I must have missed the memo that said Tues/Thurs is Feed The Trolls day ( TIFTD ?)
-B
Is this really the "corporate landscape" for many software engineers? A job so bad where you feel compelled to check for keyloggers, keep paper trails locked in a home safe, etc.?
Granted, I've not been out of school that long, but every job I've had was in a friendly, cooperative environment w/ good people who wanted to write good software. We don't assign blame, we don't sabotage people's code -- we fix problems we find and give each other help when its needed. But then, I've always worked in scientific computing, so maybe I'm not in the "corporate landscape" as such.
So am I wearing rose-colored glasses and blinding myself to the cut-throat world of commercial software development, or is the author of this book simply over-reacting?
Also, if I were to find myself in a job where I felt a need to take the precautions suggested in this book, I'd be looking for a new job. I can't believe that any company could maintain such a draconian work environment and keep employees.
I now sit back and await all the posts telling me how naive I am. :-)
Maybe not, but having taken a couple of grad courses in Comp-Sci, I can say that the day we all switch from PCs to 5-tuple one-tape Turing Machines I will so be set.
Joking asside, Universities aren't about practical education (barring Medicine and Law...and to some extent Engineering). You don't go to university to learn how to be Bill Gates (god forbid). You go there to learn how things really ought to be. Then again, despite how ideal Universities try to be, research ends up having its fair share of backstabbing and intellectual thievery.
Hmm... I wonder if I can use the same tatics on my wife...
Before the morons start quoting prices from B&N vs. Amazon, let's remember there are more than those two online. Try shopping at AddAll. It's a shopping bot for books. Prices: Overstock: $21.99, BooksAMillion: $27.44, Amazon: $27.93. Switching to BestBookBuys we get BookPool at $22.50, along with (click for the results, see Amazon in 5th place!: results. And finally, we go to BookPool with a price of $22.50. Now, can we quit using B&N and Amazon ONLY? Jeez. http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/search?isrc=b-hom e-search&q=1590592344&t=ISBN&x=16&y=13
If the subject of the book is similar to the review, then I agree completely with the author. Computer Science in the corporate world is nothing like it is in the academic world. Something that is accurate and efficient in college is often not something that is done in a company.
The concept of politics is something that changes the meaning of the work you do at a company. In college, you are given an assignment to do. You do it, you are graded on it and you move on. At a company, you are asked what the customer wants in their software, and are not given specs. You are supposed to guess what they want. You are also never given a realistic timetable in which to do the project.
Some of those hindrences to doing a project are caused by outside forces, but most are caused by inside forces. Someone is trying to impress someone else in the company by promising something before it can be done. Or they may have their team develop a project and then release it to upper management only to find its not wanted.
Politics plays a huge role in what happens to the programmers at the bottom as well. Utimately everything that occurs to the programmer can be a result of politics. If someone cancels a project, it may be that they simply didn't like the person doing it.
At my company, we are in limbo over whether we will continue to develop a program to do something that we currently license software to do. To replace the functionality of the software will take a couple months and is nothing more than a couple of webpages and a database. We pay $250,000/yr for the outside software and can save all of that by doing it in house. The reason we are having trouble is politics. Certain people dont want the software inhouse.
Is it in the best interest of the company? No. But it's in the best interest of someone at the company. Thats a danger inside such large corporations, but it is how business gets done.
http://github.com/gbook/nidb
Given the sordid aspects of working in an IT department, you'd think that this would make for a great cheesy, soap-opraesque TV show a la Melrose Place. Backstabbing, surreptitious monitoring, random sexual encounters...uh, was that mentioned in the book?
"I doubt very highly that your instructors will tell you how to handle all the nasty little things that can occur when humans work in groups..."
/., dilbert and userfriendly to get the same instructions, but usually we start reading these only after we've learned about this stuff the hard way.
That's the problem right there. Every student getting a degree in computers should take a mandatory class covering office politics, hiring legals, and how to deal with various peers, managers and devil^H^H^H^H^Hmarketing people.
Sure, we can read
they pretend to pay us so we pretend to work. In the UK, developers salaries are cheaper than some hourly rates offered in India with outsouring companies ... but moving along ... it comes down to the fact that good programmers are rarely good at getting on with people.
If you can do your technical stuff well and be a nice person (even better a popular preson), a company will value you and you can rise above office political bullshit.
The books author sounds embittered by the fact that joining the software industry at the height of the tech boom didn't make them as rich as (Kill) Bill. Get over it and get along with people.
"It's not your information. It's information about you" - John Ford, Vice President, Equifax
Does he address how to surf Slashdot during business hours without being caught?
So far my best reaction is to begin shrieking like a schoolgirl and I don't think that's going to work out long-term.
People go out and learn martial arts to protect themselves just incase. (Well... most of them do) They don't just go out and learn it to take down the next person they meet on the street.
Just because this information is laid out as it is, doesn't mean you should use it just because and cause such a malicious environment.
Remember, it takes everyone to create that happy environment.. but just one person to create that malicious environment. This is for that time when that one guy (or guys if you are really unlucky) is on you and you need to protect yourself.
Bookpool = $22.50
could care less about office politics, back stabbers, or what not. paper trails are for pansies who have a need to rectify their employment status when the going gets rough. the serious software developers are at work to cut out some serious code, and perhaps browser a little /. everynow and then. any types of office politics takes away from those two focused activities. time away from the crt is time spent refilling the caffiene container and or obtainning other chemical needs (damn smokers ;) ).
if you're working in a place that has others playing too many sophisticated political games, and the boss doesn't see the reality, then i say 'eff 'um and get the hell outta there (and back to some serious coding).
why should they?
why should the editors stop a method of making money in a nonobtrusive way.
get the fuck over it
I would make a joke about Microsoft and how they are pure evil, but I like the size of my genitals just the way they are...
In reality though, a book like this seems to deal with real situations around the cube farm... If you are new to the CS world and don't wanna be taken for a ride or sent to the goatse guy, this seems like a good read
Business \Busi"ness\, n.;
A scam in which all people involved perceive as beneficial...
My preferred guide to software development is the corporate environment presented in a fine piece of cinema. You may have seen it. It is called "Office Space." So far the only thing I've found lacking in reality is Milton.
====
Crudely Drawn Games
The Man will still be using your taint for a ball rest.
No real subgenii with any yetisense would need this book. I can see this book being useful for the unwary pinks trying to negotiate the slackless trapeze stretched over the black pit of mindless corporhoids of adversia. The subgenii needs this like he needs a fourth eye!
...still if it makes some money for the good Rev then so be it.
Sallack!
Awww, you're upset because you'll lose that crisp new dollar that Amazon gives you for flogging their patent-supported wares?
To use your logic: why should people stop standing up for what they believe in? Get the fuck over it.
No, I'm not new here, but I must have missed the memo that said Tues/Thurs is Feed The Trolls day ( TIFTD ?)
Hey, its been slow lately. After Apples I-Tunes hit Windows, their hasn't been much. We have't even been getting our daily SCO quota either. Has it been just me or has there been alot more gaming related articles lately too? I just seems percentage of game related news has gone up in the past 2 weeks.
Ref: Amazon has this book for $3.50 cheaper than bn
And soon, Amazon will have a patent on "$3.50 less" too.
Opinions on the Twiddler2 hand-held keyboard?
B&N has a "Readers Advantage" card that gets you a 10% discount and only costs US$25 a year -- worth it if you buy more than US$250 of books a year. I usually buy books in bursts, and have let my Readers Advantage card lapse, but they let you buy one at the same time as you make a purchase and let you apply it to that purchase (not that a "leave the store and reenter" hack wouldn't work, but they are being friendly and saving you the hassle).
You could've hired me.
I used to work in the backstabbing corporate machine. The place was real hell. I had a program pulled out from under me on the day before our populated circuit boards arrived. The Principal Engineer called a meeting with the CEO, the COO, head of sales, etc. and said "I don't know what they're doing, but I'd do it this other way." To call it a hatchet-job would be overly polite.
We produced meeting logs and design review documentation that was signed by the backstabbing PE, etc. It didn't help much, as the PE was the CEO's butt-boy.
Folks used to think we were overly paranoid because we made the managers physically sign all of our documentation. After "Black Thursday," folks had a different attitide.
I'm sure there are places to work where the office politics are pretty benign. Unfortunately, there are a lot of weasels out there, and they thrive on "improving" situations that already run well. Enjoy it while it lasts.
no, it's sir haxalot
Nice try, ih8apple, but you might want to update your profiles before trying to pass yourself off as someone else. Hell, even hovering over the Amazon link on your homepage gives you up.no, it's sir haxalot...
Here is the memo you missed:
you're an idiot
Here's a short version of what you need to know when you're working for someone.
Do you know the difference between a cost center and a profit center?
A cost center's something the business needs to do but doesn't make any money. Think accounting, or maintaining print servers -- the goal is to make its function as cheap as possible. One attractive way is to offshore it, provided things work out as cheaply as possible.
A profit center makes the business money. Like software development, or whatever it is that the business does: doing a good job will make the company money.
It's always better to work for the profit center.
jackass, I've told you many times to stop advertising for him. Ignore him and he'll eventually get bored and go away like the other trolls.
I'm sure it is an entertaining read with perhaps some salient points with regards to the IT industry. But, does this describe anything truly different or more dystopian that what an average non-IT worker puts up with in his own non-IT world with non-IT managers? I think we tend to make more of our own situations than is justified; work environments are similarly screwed up regardless of the industry.
Yes, because he sure gave up for all those months before his identity was pointed out.
Advertising? Do you mean you're *buying* from this guy?
The KDE guy. The one who committed suicide some time after losing his job due to the weaselry of others, only a few months ago...
Maybe this book should have been dedicated to him.
Yes, I do ask that people always repeat verbal requests through email (it forces the writer to really think about what they are asking for).
But other than that-- if I have to work with someone who wants to screw me that bad I will move on.
love is just extroverted narcissism
When words lose their meaning, people lose their freedom.
-Confucius
if there is this kind of "stuff" at a corporate you're working at it's prolly because they're
...
...
..
:)
;)
one) not proud of their hard-/software, eg. "don't
let anyone know we're making bullshit."
two) programming/making stuff that's going to be
absolite in one, never two years time.
three) marketing has fired the lead programmer or
chip designer
four) marketing is again more important then the
acctual product.
"if you are married and have kids,
do you really have the time to read the
reviews of a product?"
five)
six)
if you notice this keep your mouth shut and get
the hell out of there. watch them suckers implode!
and then of course tell everybody
start your own if you're talented / start your own
even if you're not talented
you need a CPU some ram and a keyboard (or just
a plain 'ol typewriter to write code (if you're
talented).
do NOT cater to this corporate climate!!!
by links his ads page, someone my click on them or someone might buy from his ebay listings if you keep linking to them
if i worked in a place like that, with that kind of backstabbing, i'd be out looking for something else.
In the above I meant to type,". . .even if it isn't always pleasant or finacially rewarding in the short run."
My fingers have a nasty habit of typing the opposite of what I mean because I start thinking of the concept as a whole before I type and what I'm thinking "leaks" out of my fingers instead of what I meant. It drives editors crazy, and doesn't say much for my own sanity.
KFG
Yes I realise this a pedantic sounding comment of the type that typically annoys me, but the thought of 'The Boogie-Man' was funny enough that I couldn't resist.
Booger-man, Bugger-man, Red-man, SKOAL. Chug chug chug train of consiousness gurgling down the tracks and into the ocean.
All your base are belong to us.
Eat at Joe's.
I, for one, appreciate this pricing information. I get a lot of Amazon gift certificates from filling out surveys (vividence, acrobat-results, etc) or from deals (dealnews, slickdeals, ableshoppers, xpbargains, etc) and then I spend them when I find something I want, often through these book reviews. If this guy wants a cut of my gift certificate that I got for free or for a few minutes for a survey, that's fine with me.
"And soon, Amazon will have a patent on "$3.50 less" too."
Damn. Amazon must be run by lockness monsters.
--
www.nitemarecafe.com
bookpool
and has pointing out his identity done anything to stop him? He's clearly making enough money off these links to keep doing it until the /. editors finally do something to block these links. Vigilante work hasn't paid off. It's time to pressure taco and the others to take action.
Behind the fridge? Every time I lose something i find it behind the fridge. I must not forget to look there though.
Bookpool is even cheaper than Amazon, and they don't have any patents on anything, AFAIK. And they specialize in technical books, not books, movies and power tools.
The Spoon
Updated 6/28/2011
i dont want to leave college...
Good. Don't. We don't want you out here anyway.
Having mentioned this many times and been modded down into the netherworld, I'll mention it again in hopes that someone will catch on.
This book is all about one thing: negotiating. It's a skill that is seldom taught formally, and yet is used every day of your life. Even when you were a wee babe trying to figure out how to get a cookie from mommy, you were learning to negotiate.
Unfortunately techs are usually poorly equipped to negotiate skillfully, a fact I learned personally when my scum-of-a-boss-who-I-thought-was-a-friend ripped me off for thousands because I didn't know how to negotiate properly. For years I was bitter, until I started checking out books and audio tapes on how to negotiate effectively. Bottom line: it was my fault I got ripped off.
You've only got three resources: time, energy and money. When you work for an employer, it's a give and take of how much of those three resources you're willing to exchange. The best teacher of negotiating I've heard so far is a guy named Roger Dawson (I won't post the link, just Google his name or go to your local library).
So now you MBA's out there who know what I'm talking about can mod me down now.
Ruby on Rails Screencast
Please.
Persecuted Telemarketers Unite!
...the only true way to get rid of daemons... ..sorry in advance...
This review makes it sound like "Tin Foil Hats for Dummies". Yes, I am a conspiracy theorist. Yes, HR has to reply to me via email, perticularly how they can justify working salaried employees past 40 hours a week while paying them less than $27/hour in direct violation of the FSLA. Yes I move all of my personal/HR emails offsite. Yes, I encrypt when necessary... but TEMPEST?
Don't you get it? this is SubGenius prose, so of course it's going to be a bit purple. It's just fun and games.
"We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
The Game Companies are gearing up for Christmas. Have to start hyping that newest gota have game for holiday season.
Neutrons are slippery little rascals, they can fool you. They can bounce and show up around corners you don't expect.
Is there anywhere to still get a copy of "Up the Organization?" Mine is falling apart.
I agree though, "Up the Organization," while starting to show its age a little, contains very useful insights into how organizations work, or rather fail to work.
You're exactly right - and that's the crux of the problem. You can't expect to get a business environment to change unless the change is bought into from the top level, down.
I used to work for a place that had a very dysfunctional corporate environment. (Basically, their various locations around the country were structured in such a way where it promoted competition between them. This meant that if one plant figured out a more efficient and money-saving process - they'd keep it to themselves and actively try to prevent employees of other plants from figuring out how it worked. Nonetheless, maximizing their profit as a whole was what the company really needed - since they didn't exist as independent businesses.)
Management paid lip service to the idea that changes were needed, and spent considerable money on training materials and an in-house instructor to help improve things. Unfortunately, the policies put in place that caused these problems to begin with were never modified. (Managers were still paid bonuses based on their productivity relative to the other locations' productivity, for example. Documents that should have been openly accessible to all employees were locked down with security permissions based on a plant's physical location. The list goes on, but you get the idea.)
Ultimately, I came to realize that the owners of the business and upper-level managers they appointed really didn't want to change. Sure, they wanted to see improvement - but only within the existing structure, which was flawed.
... was in watching Michael Crichton's Disclosure.
Either I'm exceedingly lucky, or these types of hostile environs aren't nearly as widespread as this guy would have you believe.
Or maybe i'm so inept that I can't see the game being played around me... where's that foil carton?
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
This is a little bit on the extremist side. I took a few org behavior classes on my way to dropping out of an MBA program. The classes I took were exactly 180 out from how the above characterizes them. As future company members (employees) we were encouraged to think about how to listen to your teammates, to think about how the heirarchical models of employee, manager, and worker were not optimal for good business, rather teams where job title have nothing to do with role could vastly improve the nature of the working environment and the bottom line. This is regarded as "hooey" by the status quo, but embraced by techies everywhere (sorry for the sweeping generalization of my own). I agree that the software industry needs to change, but B-Schools (at least some of them) also recognize this about many industries, and are actively teaching MBAs to be less egotistical and heirarchy minded, and better listeners and facilitators (which all of my good bosses were).
Techies need to be trained in this as well, so that everyone coming in to the working environment understands what collaboration and teamwork mean, and how to contribute effectively in that environment.
Please ignore any grammar and spelling errors, and let me know what you think.
Don't kid yourself; a solid paper trail can save you during a witch-hunt.
How cute. The naivete boggles the mind. Now, grow up and realize that there is nothing that can save you during a witch hunt. Even if you document your way out of the frontal attack, you will be noted as a troublemaker (for defending yourself) and be eliminated on the next pretext that they come up with.
When faces with a purge, the best course is to resign yourself to your fate, and take as many others down with you as you can manage.
I think you MEANT KC == Boogie Man.
(Nice picture there...)
You're welcome.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
HR is a front, a proxy, an excuse for the company to fuck you up really good, if they feel they have the need to.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0449 205053/002-1900140-9169619?v=glance
And don't forget "Further Up the Organization."
You might also consider scanning the copy you have, just in case. My copies died long before the advent of scanners and even my local library seems to have "end of lifed" their copies.
Remember that UTO originated as a mimeographed (remember those?)anonomyous tract distributed samizdat.
It would, of course, be a violation of copyright to the same yourself, but hey, "Up the Organization!"
KFG
Sun Tsu
The Art Of Warfare
he forgot duplicity, collusion... The boss moving a critical server just before going on holidays and "oops" accidently knocking off the screwed-on SCSI disk terminator off the back. Too bad that server doesn't have an archive and all the original install disks are locked up in his office (or at his home). There is also the configuration scripts that he changed so that all of the procedures for general database archives changed (oops, he forgot to pass those changes on to you), but be sure that you document anything you did..... It's a shame you don't have access to the software vendors internet help archive. You don't have a password nor do you know the site even exists. All you have are complete manuals to the old version of the software. ....been there, done that.
Let me understand you: I say "this guy is a jackass, look at how he spams his affliate link, and here is proof that the AC is *this* guy" and I'm a shill? What part of "this guy is a jackass" implies you should buy from him?
Do you also think that people who say "McDonald's is crap" are supporting McDonald's simply because they mention the company's name?
As a Nerd and an MBA I resemb.. errr resent the comment on my fellow colleaugues. I always try to create a constructive, conflict free, and nuturing environment for fellow employees and subordinates. Now will you please turn around, I need to measure your shoulder blades for this new kni.. ummm t-shirt that I'm about to distribute.
> editors finally do something to block these links
Sounds good to me.
You linked to his ebay page. Someone here might click on that link and see something on his ebay page that they want and buy it from him. They might not have otherwise seen it. This equals advertising for him.
You linked to his ads page (ccats.com). Someone here might click on that link and see something on his ad page that they want and buy it through him (he'll get commission). He might also be getting commission just from impressions of the ads page. They might not have otherwise seen it. This equals advertising for him.
btw, you're really slow...
your mcdonalds comparison is invalid. Stating "mcdonalds is crap" is not supporting mcdonalds because everyone's heard of them. stating "x is a troll" is supporting him because people have not heard of him and they might look him up. As they say in hollywood, any press is good press when you're not famous.
> You linked to his ads page (ccats.com).
Yep, perfect target for a wgets if you ask me.
had to be said...
I've worked for good managers and bad, and for the most part (aside from having one's department deliberately nuked by an idiot top-management team I eventually outlasted - true joy!) I've never had to put up with much in the way of dirty politics. Most of my colleagues have been and are good folks, the rest don't last. That said, I think the following rules will serve you well:
* Document your work and accomplishments and keep hard copies.
* Act so you need not fear your chickens coming home to roost (great stress-reliever, that).
* Be straightforward and honest, even when dealing with fools and slimeballs.
* If you feel the need to keep a few hidden surprises in reserve, make sure it's not inappropriate to keep'em hidden. Then spring'em with a smile.
If all that fails and political crap befalls you, you don't really wanna work there anyway.
"My strength is as the strength of ten men, for I am wired to the eyeballs on espresso."
Damn. I hate when that happens when I'm going for Funny.
Maybe the Mods need to step outside and take a few deep breaths occationally.
in sales--better
illegitimii non ingravare
So am I wearing rose-colored glasses and blinding myself to the cut-throat world of commercial software development, or is the author of this book simply over-reacting?
I have personally experienced both sides of the spectrum. On the one side are companies with high moral standards and zero tollerance for politics (oh, they still exist in that environment, but it is looked down upon). On the other extreme are companies that are toploaded with lying theives, and in that type of enviornment (like Klingon), you get ahead only by killing your boss, or someone else to your advantage.
I have also been in a situation where one of my best friends, who was supporting me while I tried to fight off a political monster, switched sides when offered a promotion to Director. Let this sink in... Even your best friends can go political on you if enough is on the line...
Of course, if you never have any power, aren't making much money and aren't making important decisions, you will never have to deal with any of this. But if you are (any of the above), be prepared to play hardball. The best way to fight off the wolves is to become a grissly, by the way. If you detect someone coming after you, go after their balls and do it very publicly; Nothing scares a politician more than being exposed before they have locked in their lies. Build a reputation as someone who is non-political, but incredibly nasty when someone goes political on you.
I think you're right on all 3 points, but I also think you have to find the right environment to practice those 3 points in. I'll outline the result of what I think the worst cases are below;
1. If you always tell the truth in an environment where people make you an enemy just because that's all they know how to do, you'll end up in an inquisition sooner rather than later. You'll find that a modified version of the "truth" comes back to haunt you more often than not.
2. Sometimes staying out of other people's business can come back and haunt you too. Keeping your nose out of it, you can end up being the last to know and worse stuck with whatever the implications are.
3. There's actually no downsides to this one though. Even in the most negative environments, stick to your guns if you feel you're in the right.
The best peice of advice, in my mind, is to get out if the situation's that bad. You may not think you have options, but you probably do.
Luck favors the prepared, darling.
what's a wgets?
Careful:
US patent #6,456,454
Method and Process for Being An Idiot, a Big Fat Idiot, or a Moron
assigned to: Jeff Bezos
> Stating "mcdonalds is crap" is not supporting mcdonalds because everyone's heard of them.
Huh? So if I hadn't heard of McD's and someone told me that, would the statement's intent be different? Would "McD's is crap" no longer mean that they are, indeed, crappy? If someone told me that some unknown restaurant was crap, would that mean they were lying?
> any press is good press when you're not famous
Right. So if I accused you of child molestation, you'd argue it was good press.
I'm scared your brain might even consider this remotely logical.
It's funny how the software developers change their tune when they have money under their belt and the work environment becomes significantly more relaxed.
So is DoomIII being developed at home aswell?
> what's a wgets?
Google is your friend.
News for Geeks in Austin, TX
the intent isn't the issue. If someone told me that some unknown restaurant was crap, I would be aware of the existence of that restaurant when I wasn't before. Therefore, there is more of a chance that I would go to that place than if I hadn't heard of it before, especially depending on my opinion of the person who told me the place was crap (and in this case, it's an AC).
Going back to the hollywood thing, if someone is an unknown actor and they get negative press, there's more of a chance of them getting a role than someone who continues to be unknown. Negative press can be a good thing, depending on how bad it is and how believable it is.
They give you comp time? Do you get to take it? If so, I'm jealous...
Denver Isuzu Suzuki
Of course all the pinkboys don't get it. I wonder what smidgen of a percent of Slashdot readers understand the book and where it's coming from.
My SO and I were going through Revelation X the other day, and we were talking about how textbooks and papers (she's doing chem grad work), would benefit from the SubGenius vantage point. As in serious works with overblown language and points. There's an old old Pascal, Fortran or Forth book (I can't recall which) which is like this - the programs do horrible things if you read through their variables and have cartoon art. The Transitive Vampire is also similar. But one written with the SubGenius ethic of "Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke" would be great.
--
Evan
"$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
When I was an undergrad English major, we had to take a one-hour course in which we were repeatedly bombarded with "You'll never make any money at this" lectures by people wearing thrift shop tweed jackets to prove their point. In grad school, the point was moot.
I'm amazed that CS programs don't have some kind of reality-check introduction in which these issues are at least mentioned as being "part of the profession." I guess I'm more amazed that English majors might be more prepared for Life-After-School/Starbucks than CS majors (at least where I studied).
--
Sig under peer review.
In my experience, when I tell people I still want an email confirmation (at the end of the phone talk) to "have our decisions recorded" (or "your request" or "whatever" recorded), they usually comply meekly. And it makes clear I am willing to play fair (even insisting on it). When people know that you will not backsttab them and that you can counter any attempt of someone backsttabing you, they usually leave you out of their dark political plots.
What is that a reference too?
Is it this?:
I once knew of a weird clip on tv once years ago where a man in a tweed jacket and a pipe went on and on about things like how Bob is the perfect name, because it's the same forward and backward. Every couple of seconds the words 'Bob loves you' would flash on the screen.
I'd change the distinction in the review (or maybe the book) to "being a professional isn't like being a student.
I got several tens of thousands from my former employer for unpaid overtime when I left their sinking ship. I made less than the ~$83K/year minimum for "computer professionals", and though my job title said "manager", my actual duties met neither state nor federal tests for a management exemption.
The real hold I had over them was the threat of deposing all the other misclassified employees in the course of a lawsuit, which would have let the cat out of the bag. They were more concerned about keeping me quiet than anything else.
Lesson for employers: know the law, and above all be fair to your employees, lest they bitch slap you.
I think I like the idea that the book proposes. :-/
Paper trails are essential in regard to accounting.
If you handle any money, track it, copy the records, etc. Money gets people uptight. :->
So I think I'll read it next time I see it.
~V'lion
/b
|f(x)dx = F(b) - F(a)
A good way to leave a non paper trail is to screw around with a fortune-mod, then re-make it. I just wonder how many disgruntled coders do this. To bad you really have to know how to code to do it. It doesn't work with Visual Studio!
OH THE SHAME I fell off the wagon and use sigs again!
Example 1: A bank. Phone conversations were recorded (but it was denied if you asked). Email and web access was monitored. If you were overheard talking about leaving your job, you were escorted to the door. If you browsed monster.com, you were escorted to the door. I was hired to make web pages with Visual Interdev, but that was not on the approved software list. So when it was time to renew my contract, I was dismissed because a software audit showed that I had unapproved software on my computer: Visual Studio.
Example 2: A software development company in the health care industry. There was a rather complicated workflow process and one of the managers did not like doing one step because it was inconvenient. During a very nasty meeting (the sort you walk into knowing that someone is getting fired), I demonstrated on the blackboard how the data moved thru the system and where it stopped. I was able to show via the data and paper trails where the data went and who dropped the ball. Until that point, all the eyes were on me and my department was about to get tossed out the door. When I showed the part she dropped the ball on, and several other samples of the same failure, those eyes shifted to her. Because of her relationship with the CEO (not that kind you dirty pervert, they were long time close friends), she was unfireable. When the CEO was later booted by the board of directors, she was given 2 weeks pay instead of notice and walked out the door. Because of her (illegal) immigration status, anyone with an axe to grind could have called up INS and gotten her deported.
Example 3: a small business. Because the person running the business was the vindictive sort (some ex-employees were seached by the police theft of property), as I started to look for alternate employment, I built up a "cya" file at home of things that would get the owner arrested for some serious federal time if they fell into the police's hands (they would only find it if they busted into my house, although a second copy of the file was kept in my parent's garage). I kept that file for about 2 years afterwards, then discarded it.
Example 4: a large corporation. It was known that several hundred people were getting laid off towards the end of the year (about 10% reduction in staff). Some not-so-competant people who were afraid of losing their positions yielded to temptation to sabotage other's software. Your project is constantly buggy, late and over budget? Pack your things. When the sabotage was uncovered, they were laid off too, but the victims were not rehired.
You see, part of the problem is that in the USA we are brought up to believe that we live in a meritocracy. That the better mouse trap will get the market share. That if that mousetrap fails to survive in the market, it was the fault of the makers, not the fault of the others' producers who buy off congress to make the better one illegal. That the better person will get the job. And when we don't get that job, and the person who did get it was not qualified, then we must have done something wrong. Not until we start realizing that the other person got the job because of reasons that had nothing to do with how smart or qualified or better looking or educated, that you will understand that the publically stated things are not the real things. What is said has very little to do with what is going on. Instead, it has become a place where luck is more important than skill, and watching your back and covering your butt is how you make your own luck. Blaming the victim is our national pasttime.
Your naivite is a result of luck and innocence. There will come a day when you are burned badly, and if you are honest with yourself, will dig into and analyse the root causes of that incident. Honestly, I hope you can live your whole life in innocence. The job market is tight enought that people can get away with treating skilled, technical wor
My only experience with poverty is those Christian Children's Fund commercials on TV.
Either I'm exceedingly lucky, or those types of poor environs aren't as widespread as the guy in the commercial would have you believe.
Or maybe I'm so inept that I think that my personal experiences can be generalized to a world of tens - nay, hundreds of millions of people.
i was making light of the issue of implied frequency of hostile environments, and the suggestions that such recommended attitudes and behaviors are productive applications of an engineers time and energy.
... hey! a book deal!)
something altogether different than how you seem to have interpreted it, given your fairly extreme analogy.
suffice to say i don't believe my personal experience is indicative of world-wide norms.
by the same token though, i don't take frantic arm-waving reporting for social norms either.
i don't believe -most- engineers should bother with such extreme foil-hat defenses. certainly they should be aware of underhanded tactics, and some suggested behaviors are just good business sense. but i certainly don't believe -every- kid coming out of college needs to be inundated with these concerns to the extreme degrees set out in this book.
similarly i don't believe that shark attacks, or school shootings or old people plowing through farmer's markets are as wildly prevalent as some 'experts' would have you believe.
particularly when such experts are economically incentivized to overstate themselves (fueling further concern, opening the door to consulting or
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
Good examples and great last two paragraphs.
Why didn't you give us the complete list of bromides while you were at it?
"If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door."
"You get what you pay for."
If you think that honesty and "doing the right thing" will get you ahead in the workplace today, you are either very young or a very slow learner. "Doing the right thing" by your employer will get you 50-hour weeks for a couple of years, and then your well-documented code will be maintained by somebody in Bangla Desh while you flip burgers.
"Those who like sausage and laws and software should not see them being made."
(Okay, I added the part about software.)
It is childish and ignorant to bash MBAs. An MBA is somebody who studied management so that they can BE A BETTER MANAGER. Do you bash somebody that got a master's degree or doctorate in CompSci or EE? How about somebody who studies their field to better understand the associated history, techniques, philosophies, approaches, studies, etc... are they worthy of ridicule as well?
When you complain about these evil MBAs... what are you really complaining about? I'd bet you are complaining about any non-technical person who is tasked with managing technical projects - whether they have an MBA or not! Either that, or you are opposed to all management, because you lack maturity and a proper work ethic. I'll stop now cause this is turning into a troll, and that wasn't my intent...
Yes, the MBAs went to college to be a better manager. Of course, those courses define "better manager" as: working the serfs under them as hard as possible, wringing every cent possible from every nook and crany, firing people to make that quarter's bottom line look good, and fleeing to the next job before the consequences of your actions catch up with you.
Bash them? Soon enough they'll be hiding in the ruins of this country, hoping the mob doesn't find them.
Take down the people who deserve it,the people who are going to make hell for the co-workers you like. Be a force to evolve the workplace into a more livable environment. If the a@@h0lz get to stay in the working environment unchallanged it hurts everyone.
I'm pretty sick of seeing this Amazon post with every book review too.
/. can't find amazon.com?
I mean, if I wanted to see some advertising I'd check my inbox.
Who's it supposed to help anyway? How many people on
Have you tried Linux yet?
There's people out there looking at the Busy Beaver function who study the 4-tuple Turing Machine. And certainly it is possible to make a 3-tupple TM by further combining the 4-tuple operations. On the other hand, I think I've seen Turing Machines called 8-tupple by taking up a whole lot of extra space (I think they counted the two halt states or something).
"So, let's see if I understand this correctly... you've been printing out hard copies of all the company confidential information you have access to, removing it from the building, and archiving it at your home? Interesting..."
There are only 2 things you have to learn about in life - people and systems.
If you focus too much on one, you're always going to be at the mercy of people who have focused more on the other. It doesn't mean that you'll be taken advantage of, but the potential is there.
You can learn people skills anywhere, but for some of us it requires a conscious effort.
I develop software and work in the real estate industry where the basic rule is, 'If it aint written, it aint true'. People forget things, getting it written down and signed off is the only way to conduct business to ensure that there are no dramas waiting for you further down the track. Sometimes bad things happen intentionally and sometimes they happen because a situation gets confused and people do whatever they can to protect themselves. You're an asset to yourself and whoever you work for if you keep things as clear and business-like as possible.
this Amazon post tells you the price difference and links straight to the item. I don't know what everyone's problem. I mean, if you're going to buy from amazon anyway, why not make them pay out a commission?
This book reminds me of Disciplined Minds, a book about the subjugation of personal political and ideological beliefs to the need to 'get on'. In a nutshell, we may all think we're nice people, and we may all believe that it's right to help others, to 'do good' and so on, but when it comes to the modern workplace, particularly the corporate workplace, these ideas are pushed aside. In fact in the modern corporation internal competition is encouraged: i.e. don't see your team mates as your friends, colleagues, etc. See them rather as competitors on the promotion ladder.
When I step back and think about it, I'm amazed that we put up with it. For example, annual appraisals are the norm. Some people will tell you that these are a necessary part of any modern business, and that they benefit the appraised as well as the company. Fine, but never forget who's in the driving seat and has all the power at these things. Who appraises who, and why should the world be like that? We should look at these power structures and challenge them for their legitimacy: what exactly is it that gives *your manager* - who is, after all, another flawed human being, not unlike yourself or anyone else you might meet - the right to actually pass judgement on you and give you a rating? Why do we as a society let this happen? It's not the way normal 'more voluntary', natural human relationships work.
What gives managers that power right now, is their ability to climb the greasy pole quicker than you. And it goes right up the chain, to the top few (in relative terms, absolutely minute) people at the very top of the chain - the people with all the wealth/capital (== power).
The nature of corporations as "systems" is to maximise profit, market share, and so on. That's what they do. If they don't, they cease to exist, because some other bigger corporations either wipes them out or gobbles them up. But this motivation to maximise profit in these huge, powerful corporations does not always, in fact many would argue, does not typically sit well with what we should do as a human society. So we eat up the planet's oil resources and worry about tomorrow tomorrow, we ignore global warming, and occasionally (as was recently shown), we go to war and kill people.
Corporations, the biggest of which are now larger than many countries, and which hold huge political sway in supposedly democratic countries, are 'tyrannical' in nature. Internally they are extremely hierarchichal, with the power flowing from the top downwards. We wax lyrical about how great democracy is and so on, but the vast majority of people spend a huge amount of their lives in a workplace with zero democracy (ever been asked to vote for your manager?). They're pretty much told what to do, and they do it to get on. Or they're weeded out.
Anyway, I've kind of strayed from my main point, which is that the modern world requires "professionals" to behave a certain way - in fact when people say 'be professional' they mean control your natural reactions and behave in a way that the surrounding entity dictates. Anyone who doesn't conform to this either (1) doesn't get on, or (2) is weeded out of the system.
Please excuse the excess verbiage.
whether you were right or not. If you aren't current with WHY your "truths" are needed is just as bad as made-up lies. Anyway you were still USED by the Boss to hurt others without knowing what you were doing. That should be enough.
Apprently neither dose a dictionary
might want to look up genocide
You have 5 Moderator Points!
Which Helpless Linux zealot/MS basher do you want to mod down today?
Wollongong Uni (NSW, Australia) has an Information and Communication Technology 4th year subject called "Organisational Issues in IT" - It sounds like this book is tailor made for this subject. Maybe Dr. Bomba could add it in.
he currently uses a textbook called "Power, Politics and Organizational Change" by Buchanan and Badham.
This book takes the line that Political behaviour is only seen as bad by those who are either not skilled, or have been on the losing end. It then gives case studies and examples of where political behaviour has beenthe only way to get a project to proceed.
It's pretty cynical, but very matter of fact. Good for people interested in this stuff. I was torn when I read it, I could see why they said things, but I want to beleive the world is a nicer place.
Yay me!
Hey, mgmt and coworkers are already stressing you out, so, you may as well up the ante and talk longingly about your gun collection.
This is my sig.
I'm a transvestite vampire, you insensitive clod.
And while we are at it:
9 32 633439/qid=1066981565/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-313994 0-1652031?v=glance&s=books
Peopleware
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0
may appear dated too, but
the concepts are timeless,
and NO ONE in industry
has yet to do it right,
after all these years,
and all these books,
and all those bucks spent on
failed bloated projects,
and all those programmers burned
out, etc, etc.
Ref: AddAll Search shows where to buy it for $6 cheaper than Amazon, plus doesn't support annoying affiliate trolls.
This reminds me of a software project I once worked on as a consultant. The client demanded all sorts of things, including what language the application should be written in, and how it should be written.
I knew it wouldn't work and I told them why. But that didn't seem to matter all that much. They ended up with spaghetti code - there was no other way to do it. A year or two later they called me and asked if there was any possibility of doing something useful with the code. I replied - truthfully - that it should really be written from scratch but decently, and that I hadn't been able to do it right in the circumstances.
Business politics often wreck great business projects. I'm certain that most IT people really do need more training in social interaction, allowing them to push through their ideas with management more efficiently.
actually, addall is just a big affiliate troll themselves. Do you think all those links to different sites are commission-free?