Power cycle the network equipment. If it comes back up, pay him for the rest of the year as severance and let him go his own way. If it doesn't come back up, put him away for 10-15 years for public endangerment, and fine him whatever the cost is to the city to recreate the network and for any loss of productivity in the meantime. Either way he is a terrible admin - no one single person should be a single point of failure. What if he got hit by Muni at lunch one day?
Yes, the retention incentive usually just confirm your place through the close of the deal; though I have seen them with clauses offering comparable positions (in terms of compensation and title) in the newly-merged organization, also.
Good point on the MCI/EDS situation. I would argue that the costs associated with payouts on retentions are part of the acquisition costs, and thus are tax-advantaged / shareholder value-advantaged, so in my experience companies are more apt to see the retention through and pay out because a) it's good for morale at a time when morale is taking major knocks b) it's a PR nightmare when the lawsuits hit the front pages of papers, with "I got fired minutes before I was due to receive payment for my work and dedication" c) no merger process wants to add more employment tort cases on top of the lawsuits that are likely to hit from shareholders already, because it adds to the "it was a mistake" argument.
In merger activity that is already taking negative press and/or destroying shareholder value, all bets are off - no one cares about individual raindrops in a storm:)
I've been on one side or the other of 35 acquisitions. My experience is that the only people absolutely guaranteed of a job when it's all done are those who are have a written retention offer as an incentive to keep them in place and not bail prior to the merger closing. Many people will keep their jobs, some will lose them, and no one other than the aforementioned can be certain of either.
If you are uncomfortable with the uncertainty around your continued employment, then there are two options: live with that stress and all of the potential negatives and positives continued employment or sudden termination bring -OR- take your fate into your own hands and go in search of employment elsewhere ahead of time and on your own terms. No one can really tell you which is better, as you have to determine what your threshold for uncertainty and stress is.
I have known many people who have done both, and have had it work out better or worse for them. Some can handle the stress of uncertainty, some really can't. For those latter ones, taking the initiative to determine their own fate was far better for them health-wise. I have always stayed on through the acquisitions, and it has always worked out well for me personally.
One last word of advice I have for everyone I have ever worked with, for, or over: always keep your resume up to date! Don't wait until you are in fear of your job or suddenly terminated to get it out and "dust it off." Changing jobs is stressful, and this is one thing you can do in happier times to help see yourself through the rough ones. Also, it's great to update it with accomplishments when they are fresh in your mind.
I always encourage my employees and peers to get out their resumes and update them no less than yearly, but ideally as often as quarterly. At the successful completion of any large project, I let my teams know "that is resume-worthy, and these are the points you should include" and list the things I think they should be proud of accomplishing.
Don't let your resume get stale, or when you're out of a job it's one more roadblock to getting yourself back in the saddle.
Good luck with the acquisition, whatever you choose to do!
If you are required to transfer the data outside of your organization, then there are two areas of concern - confidentiality of the data in transit, and confidentiality of the data once it arrives and is in the consultant's control.
Data in transit: Encrypting the data prior to transfer is highly recommended, so that when it arrives it is in a secured package, and it also reduces risk should an email be misaddressed or forwarded to an unintended recipient. For this part PGP is an excellent tool. You can encrypt using exchanged keys, or you can encrypt using a strong passphrase and then communicate that passphrase out of band (phone call is preferable, separate email is workable but less preferable). For the method of transfer, securing the channel of communications is another added layer of security on top of encrypting the data ahead of time. If you are using an interactive transfer like (S)FTP, it will protect the authentication credentials from prying eyes. Although someone intercepting the PGP encrypted file now may not be able to decrypt it, tomorrow's technology may make the task trivial, so protecting it is recommended. TLS-encrypted email from organization to organization is also a good choice, but may be beyond the scope of your project. However, if this will be an ongoing need, or if your HR rep is also passing confidential content in email, it's definitely worth looking into.
Data Protection after Transit: Once the person has received the file, your data will continue to be at risk. Each copy they make of the encrypted file is another file that could potentially be moved outside of a controlled environment. Once they decrypt the data, the risk to your organization climbs as they strip away another layer of protection. At this point the processes the consultant has in place are critical to protecting your data, and lack of processes or sloppy adherence puts your organization at risk. I often use users' Outlook Sent Items to show how easily copies of data files propagate. Anywhere they store the data, encrypted or not, may be released outside of their environment when they dispose of hard disks or tapes, or if they have them replaced because they are faulty. We empower users with tools, and those tools can increase risk in unexpected ways.
Remember the most important security rule - always protect in layers. Remind everyone to treat all data like it's their own banking information or cash money. Require your partners/vendors/consultants to meet or exceed all of your controls. Allow as few copies of data (encrypted or non-) as absolutely required for operational and preservation purposes. Continually remind everyone of the potential risk of data loss. Make sure users understand that there is no single security solution - encryption provides one layer of protection, but the best security is constant vigilance and treating your data like it's cash money.
I would recommend you have a serious discussion with your HR rep, starting out by saying "I just want to be sure you're aware of the risk here, and we are doing everything we can to protect our company and our employees." Then spell out the risks without exaggerating, and remind him/her that it's situations like this where bad decisions end up in the newspaper. The first decision is "do we have to move this data outside of our organization?" and it should only be done if it's absolutely required. If it is, then layering security and requiring that your vendor/contractor treat it with the right level of sensitivity are all that you can do.
I have had the pleasure of working with Hextall and the other founders of Exile for many years now. I know very well how deep of an emotional attachment one can develop to a MUD, and it is not an easy decision to close Exile after all these years.
I would like to thank everyone who has visited us and enjoyed the environment Exile provided. It has been a very satisfying run, and I'm proud to have been a part of a little niche in the Internet universe that was truly unique and our own. Moreover I'd like to say thank you to the others responsible for bringing Exile alive - Volito, Gora, and Hextall. If I lose touch with any of you, I'd be losing a part of my family.
I have too much to say on the subject of MUDs to fit into a single post. MUDs were an early part of my experience with the Internet, and I still believe they have an important yet shrinking role. It would be sad indeed if they dried up altogether.
Perhaps someday we'll meet somewhere on a hillside, overlooking a smoking village, a dragon corpse at our feet, and I'll dust off my shining black chainmail tunic, turn towards you, and smile with a wink. Maybe you'll recognize me:
Before you stands a sturdy-looking sylvan elf, with wild flowing sandy brown hair and piercing silver-blue eyes. He has a slight mischievous curl to the corner of his mouth, and the light dances in his eyes.
May your adventures always see you safely home, -Marinell, also known as Boots (Exile, 1996-2003)
I have been using Dell since my company adopted it as the standard over 4 years ago, and they have excellent support if you talk to the right person(s). Like any organization they have some drones answering phones who don't understand that Customer Support is for helping customers. I don't feel like you deserve a new laptop - you would if the laptop was newer and therefore there were good replacements of similar value and model available, but your laptop has depreciated in value for much or all of the effective lifespan of technology equipment (which is 2 or 3 years standard, depending on who you ask).
Dell had a hardware problem with Lattitude CPi laptops where the original clasps that held the notebooks closed would snap off. They made a very cheap change in the laptop carrying cases (most breakages occurred while users were traveling) and when that didn't work, they took the extra expense to design a replacement clasp that was metal with a metal mounting plate. Problem solved.
Like any company, Dell needs to make a profit to keep its investors happy, keep the production going, and stay operational. It sounds like they haven't reached a point yet where your type of laptop failure has forced them to make the retro changes to the hinges to keep customers happy. Maybe there just aren't enough complaints, or maybe the cost of doing it right is higher than giving you temporary replacements until the laptop's useful life is over (if you were a corporation that would be within the next year).
If I were you, I would talk to a manager within support, give him a list of the ticket numbers you've had dealing with this situation over the years, and suggest he might want to reference this type of failure with this model and see if it's a widely known problem. Dell wants customer experience to be positive, so you come back and buy more Dells (worked on me, I've owned 6 now). Also, ask if there are any replacement hinges that are reinforced, possibly from newer model laptops, that might work as a replacement and lower the overhead on their support group handling this persistent failure.
If you don't get satisfaction from the Support center, ask for a consumer relations/customer relations address, and write (snailmail) a letter detailing your issue. I'm certain Dell will make you happy.
Slashdot Mirror
Make you a deal - be seen talking to chicks, we'll start using the orgy analogy ;)
Power cycle the network equipment. If it comes back up, pay him for the rest of the year as severance and let him go his own way. If it doesn't come back up, put him away for 10-15 years for public endangerment, and fine him whatever the cost is to the city to recreate the network and for any loss of productivity in the meantime. Either way he is a terrible admin - no one single person should be a single point of failure. What if he got hit by Muni at lunch one day?
Yes, the retention incentive usually just confirm your place through the close of the deal; though I have seen them with clauses offering comparable positions (in terms of compensation and title) in the newly-merged organization, also.
Good point on the MCI/EDS situation. I would argue that the costs associated with payouts on retentions are part of the acquisition costs, and thus are tax-advantaged / shareholder value-advantaged, so in my experience companies are more apt to see the retention through and pay out because a) it's good for morale at a time when morale is taking major knocks b) it's a PR nightmare when the lawsuits hit the front pages of papers, with "I got fired minutes before I was due to receive payment for my work and dedication" c) no merger process wants to add more employment tort cases on top of the lawsuits that are likely to hit from shareholders already, because it adds to the "it was a mistake" argument.
In merger activity that is already taking negative press and/or destroying shareholder value, all bets are off - no one cares about individual raindrops in a storm :)
I've been on one side or the other of 35 acquisitions. My experience is that the only people absolutely guaranteed of a job when it's all done are those who are have a written retention offer as an incentive to keep them in place and not bail prior to the merger closing. Many people will keep their jobs, some will lose them, and no one other than the aforementioned can be certain of either.
If you are uncomfortable with the uncertainty around your continued employment, then there are two options: live with that stress and all of the potential negatives and positives continued employment or sudden termination bring -OR- take your fate into your own hands and go in search of employment elsewhere ahead of time and on your own terms. No one can really tell you which is better, as you have to determine what your threshold for uncertainty and stress is.
I have known many people who have done both, and have had it work out better or worse for them. Some can handle the stress of uncertainty, some really can't. For those latter ones, taking the initiative to determine their own fate was far better for them health-wise. I have always stayed on through the acquisitions, and it has always worked out well for me personally.
One last word of advice I have for everyone I have ever worked with, for, or over: always keep your resume up to date! Don't wait until you are in fear of your job or suddenly terminated to get it out and "dust it off." Changing jobs is stressful, and this is one thing you can do in happier times to help see yourself through the rough ones. Also, it's great to update it with accomplishments when they are fresh in your mind.
I always encourage my employees and peers to get out their resumes and update them no less than yearly, but ideally as often as quarterly. At the successful completion of any large project, I let my teams know "that is resume-worthy, and these are the points you should include" and list the things I think they should be proud of accomplishing.
Don't let your resume get stale, or when you're out of a job it's one more roadblock to getting yourself back in the saddle.
Good luck with the acquisition, whatever you choose to do!
If you are required to transfer the data outside of your organization, then there are two areas of concern - confidentiality of the data in transit, and confidentiality of the data once it arrives and is in the consultant's control.
Data in transit:
Encrypting the data prior to transfer is highly recommended, so that when it arrives it is in a secured package, and it also reduces risk should an email be misaddressed or forwarded to an unintended recipient. For this part PGP is an excellent tool. You can encrypt using exchanged keys, or you can encrypt using a strong passphrase and then communicate that passphrase out of band (phone call is preferable, separate email is workable but less preferable). For the method of transfer, securing the channel of communications is another added layer of security on top of encrypting the data ahead of time. If you are using an interactive transfer like (S)FTP, it will protect the authentication credentials from prying eyes. Although someone intercepting the PGP encrypted file now may not be able to decrypt it, tomorrow's technology may make the task trivial, so protecting it is recommended. TLS-encrypted email from organization to organization is also a good choice, but may be beyond the scope of your project. However, if this will be an ongoing need, or if your HR rep is also passing confidential content in email, it's definitely worth looking into.
Data Protection after Transit:
Once the person has received the file, your data will continue to be at risk. Each copy they make of the encrypted file is another file that could potentially be moved outside of a controlled environment. Once they decrypt the data, the risk to your organization climbs as they strip away another layer of protection. At this point the processes the consultant has in place are critical to protecting your data, and lack of processes or sloppy adherence puts your organization at risk. I often use users' Outlook Sent Items to show how easily copies of data files propagate. Anywhere they store the data, encrypted or not, may be released outside of their environment when they dispose of hard disks or tapes, or if they have them replaced because they are faulty. We empower users with tools, and those tools can increase risk in unexpected ways.
Remember the most important security rule - always protect in layers. Remind everyone to treat all data like it's their own banking information or cash money. Require your partners/vendors/consultants to meet or exceed all of your controls. Allow as few copies of data (encrypted or non-) as absolutely required for operational and preservation purposes. Continually remind everyone of the potential risk of data loss. Make sure users understand that there is no single security solution - encryption provides one layer of protection, but the best security is constant vigilance and treating your data like it's cash money.
I would recommend you have a serious discussion with your HR rep, starting out by saying "I just want to be sure you're aware of the risk here, and we are doing everything we can to protect our company and our employees." Then spell out the risks without exaggerating, and remind him/her that it's situations like this where bad decisions end up in the newspaper. The first decision is "do we have to move this data outside of our organization?" and it should only be done if it's absolutely required. If it is, then layering security and requiring that your vendor/contractor treat it with the right level of sensitivity are all that you can do.
and for Atlanta-based companies that sue Cupertino-based companies in East Texas.
I have had the pleasure of working with Hextall and the other founders of Exile for many years now. I know very well how deep of an emotional attachment one can develop to a MUD, and it is not an easy decision to close Exile after all these years.
I would like to thank everyone who has visited us and enjoyed the environment Exile provided. It has been a very satisfying run, and I'm proud to have been a part of a little niche in the Internet universe that was truly unique and our own. Moreover I'd like to say thank you to the others responsible for bringing Exile alive - Volito, Gora, and Hextall. If I lose touch with any of you, I'd be losing a part of my family.
I have too much to say on the subject of MUDs to fit into a single post. MUDs were an early part of my experience with the Internet, and I still believe they have an important yet shrinking role. It would be sad indeed if they dried up altogether.
Perhaps someday we'll meet somewhere on a hillside, overlooking a smoking village, a dragon corpse at our feet, and I'll dust off my shining black chainmail tunic, turn towards you, and smile with a wink. Maybe you'll recognize me:
Before you stands a sturdy-looking sylvan elf, with wild flowing sandy brown
hair and piercing silver-blue eyes. He has a slight mischievous curl to the
corner of his mouth, and the light dances in his eyes.
May your adventures always see you safely home,
-Marinell, also known as Boots (Exile, 1996-2003)
Dell had a hardware problem with Lattitude CPi laptops where the original clasps that held the notebooks closed would snap off. They made a very cheap change in the laptop carrying cases (most breakages occurred while users were traveling) and when that didn't work, they took the extra expense to design a replacement clasp that was metal with a metal mounting plate. Problem solved.
Like any company, Dell needs to make a profit to keep its investors happy, keep the production going, and stay operational. It sounds like they haven't reached a point yet where your type of laptop failure has forced them to make the retro changes to the hinges to keep customers happy. Maybe there just aren't enough complaints, or maybe the cost of doing it right is higher than giving you temporary replacements until the laptop's useful life is over (if you were a corporation that would be within the next year).
If I were you, I would talk to a manager within support, give him a list of the ticket numbers you've had dealing with this situation over the years, and suggest he might want to reference this type of failure with this model and see if it's a widely known problem. Dell wants customer experience to be positive, so you come back and buy more Dells (worked on me, I've owned 6 now). Also, ask if there are any replacement hinges that are reinforced, possibly from newer model laptops, that might work as a replacement and lower the overhead on their support group handling this persistent failure.
If you don't get satisfaction from the Support center, ask for a consumer relations/customer relations address, and write (snailmail) a letter detailing your issue. I'm certain Dell will make you happy.