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Ask Slashdot: IT Personnel As Ostriches?
MonOptIt writes: I'm a new IT professional, having recently switched from a different sci/tech field. My first gig is with a mid-size (50ish) nonprofit which includes a wide variety of departments and functions. I'm the sole on-site IT support, which means that I'm working with every employee/department regularly both at HQ and off-site locations. My questions for the seasoned pros are: Do you find yourself deliberately ignoring office politics, overheard conversations, open documents or emails, etc as you go about your work? If not, how do you preserve the impartiality/neutrality which seems (to my novice mind) necessary to be effective in this position? In either case: how do you deal with the possibility of accidentally learning something you're not supposed to know? E.g. troubleshooting a user's email program when they've left sensitive/eyes-only emails open on their workstation. Are there protections or policies that are standard, or is this a legal and professional gray-area?
Always remember that you are dealing, in your case where your internal customers are not IT savvy, that there is a reason why we refer to them as lusers:
Use that word where I work and there will immediately be a meeting with me, a HR representative and your manager.
Depending on the outcome of that meeting you will either
* get counceling from your manager
* you get to have a meeting with your manager and someone from HR.
IT is a cost centre and a support organization. Just like janitors, but you are paid more than janitors and less than engineers.
IT support is not exactly an occupation that require a masters degree.
As an important support organization, but a support organization nevertheless, to the question on
"what should I do if I overhear something?"
The answer is "ask yourself what the janitor would do" and if you do so then all is well.
How does them having sex with my butt make my dick stink? I'd have to have sex with their butt for that to be true. Duh.