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How Do IT Guys Get Respect and Not Become BOFHs?

Posted by kdawson on from the keep-a-curled-upper-lip dept.

An anonymous reader writes "I work for a small software company (around 60 people) as the sole IT guy. It's my first time in a position like this and after about 1.5 years I'm starting to get a bit burned out. I try to be friendly, helpful, and responsive and I get no respect whatsoever. Users tend to be flat-out rude when they have a problem, violate our pretty liberal policies constantly, and expect complex projects to be finished immediately upon requesting them. My knee-jerk reaction is to be a bastard, although I've avoided it up to this point. It's getting harder. For those of you who have been doing this a lot longer, how do you get a reasonable level of respect from your users while not being a jerk?"

8 of 902 comments (clear)

  1. lmgtfy by beefsprocket · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've sent a few of the tougher cases to http://lmgtfy.com/ Usually that smartens them up a bit without having to have too many words ;)

    1. Re:lmgtfy by Goldberg's+Pants · · Score: 5, Funny

      And if they don't get the hint, try this less subtle one.

    2. Re:lmgtfy by BrokenHalo · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sometimes terrorism works...

      ...like locking the volume on their machine at max and setting their screensaver to play "badger badger mushroom mushroom" after 30 seconds' inactivity. If anyone calls to complain, just tell them that it doesn't do that if they keep working... >:-D

  2. Don't avoid it! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Take pride in being the BOFH. Lusers need to be kept in check. Blog about how you've made their lives miserable.

  3. You want the truth? by QuantumG · · Score: 5, Funny

    If something was working yesterday and it isn't working today, you broke it.

    For example, email. Why does email go down? Why? What's so hard about running a mail server? It was working yesterday, I come in this morning, it's not working.. what did you do? Don't say you did nothing, you did. It was working. You stuck your grubby little paws in there and messed with it, didn't you? Fix it.

    You can't handle the truth.

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    How we know is more important than what we know.
  4. Don't do what I did! by deets101 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I found solace in drugs, booze and hookers. This worked out great for a while. After some time (about 10 hours) it started affecting my job and personal life. I have since been fired from job, so the stress is gone. The bad thing is that now I am addicted to drugs and it burns when I piss. Oh yeah, my left me and took our kids to her mothers.

    --
    My parents went to slashdot and all I got was this lousy sig!

    --

    --
    My parents went to Slashdot and all I got was this lousy sig.
  5. Re:How do I get a reasonable level of respect? by TwistedPear · · Score: 5, Funny

    I find multiplying the time estimate by Pi gives a more realistic looking number... :)

  6. Re:Be firm.. by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Be reasonable, and honest - justify and explain.

    And then, if they still bother you, shoot them.

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    That is all.