Like most of the posters here it seems I've been through this hurdle myself.
Firstly I think that charging them for "friendly help" is a bit steep. I'm much more of a "lets discuss and work it out" sort of guy. So here are the rules which I impart.
ALWAYS: 1) Have a separate partition/HDD for files. Have the user save their files to this area. 2) Despite what PC vendors say, AntiVirus is not an option, it is mandatory 3) Anti-spyware is also mandatory 4) A firewall is mandatory 5) I support ONLY the Mozilla suite. IE and Outlook are too much trouble. 6) Have an image (ghost/dd/whatever) that you can restore and save it to the 2nd Partition/HDD where the user files are 7) Ensure that the 2nd Partition/HDD gets backed up! Or at least make the user accountable for it. 8) Ensure all the updates are run on at least a weekly basis
DISCUSSION POINTS: 1) Discuss the point at which the machine get restored. This can be at either your or the users request. ie. "This is going to take me at least 4 hours to fix. However I can restore it and you will be up in 30mins". 2) Discuss safe practices of surfing. ie. "If you don't click on unknown email attachments then your machine will keep running for longer without being restored". 3) Discuss user level privileges. ie. "I can drop your level of access down so that if something does happen to your computer it is unlikely that you will need a complete restore" 4) Discuss your support options. ie. I'm happy to help you for 30 mins every couple of weeks or when I'm over, but if it becomes more than this then we will need to get some outside help". 5) Discuss and reiterate the outcome of a restore ie. "You will need to spend several hours reinstalling all your programs after a restore and any customisations to your desktop will be lost" 6) Discuss the importance of saving files off "C:". ie. "Any files you save on C: WILL be deleted after a restore". 7) Discuss the importance of backups ie. "If you have either a bad virus or a hardware failure we will need to restore your data from a backup. If you haven't backed up then you WILL lose data"
I find that heavy handed tactics such as denying them admin rights or mentioning fees really causes grief in a family relationship. However frank discussion of expectations and outcomes really does make things easier in the long run. If you can get across the message that a restore is something to be avoided but makes your computer usable again then you should have few problems and requests will be carefully weighted before you are approached.
Also I'd think about some VNC/Terminal Server setup if you and your family are on broadband. Haven't crossed that hurdle myself thanks to the poor rollout of ADSL here in Australia, but definately something to do in the future!
Of course you can't please some users. If your problem is PEBCAK then don't do support. If you aren't getting the respect you deserve as a professional support person then don't do support.
Man, this was exactly what I was going to post. For god sake, if you are forced into this travesty of providing service then provide an alternative to management.
I'd suggest that you form a partnership with a local computer service where you agree to send these machines to them for fixing. Your responsibilities will be getting them to fill in the 3rd party forms, packaging the computers, getting them to and from the service centre and monitoring the status of the jobs.
I'd suggest that this would reduce costs SIGNIFICANTLY over running it in house and the liability (not to mention stress) goes to someone else. And if they have a problem they can take it up with someone who they don't work with.
If your company really wants to give the home computer abusers a warm and fuzzy feeling they can subsidise the cost of repairs.
I think that there is a good point here. Isn't there a certain amount of a social acceptability criteria that creeps in through any of these studies? Currently computer games are seen as "tolerable" by the majority of the population, but certainly not an acceptable replacement to television!
Lets look at this logically with a different context, say camping. I am sure that there are people who love camping, spend 36 hours on a weekend with minimal human interaction, turn up to work tired on Monday morning and then spend 4-5 hours per night planning their next trip, checking equipment, purchasing supplies etc. So I put it to you, how is this different to most "addicted" gamers.
Well the answer is that camping is seen as "good for you" because it gets you "outdoors". It is seen as wholesome and family friendly. Because of this, "addiction" to camping is negligible (or non-existent).
I think society is struggling to come to terms with computer addiction, a term I use loosely to include the current spate of addictions, such as gaming addiction, ebay addiction, email addiction and coding addiction (although this isn't something you will hear about because this is generally good for society or at least the financial bottom line). Society doesn't see using a computer for recreational purposes on the same level as watching television with arguments such as "it doesn't encourage interaction with other people" and "it's not exactly something you can discuss with someone the next day". Well I don't feel this is true any more, primarily because I believe that my online friends are as real as my rl friends. And with the increase in the number of gamers (particularly thanks to WoW) I find I can discuss, maybe not strategies, but at least what attracts me to the game with my work collegues.
So I respect the research that is being undertaken to determine the cause and hopefully the cure to these addictions, but in some ways, particularly that psychological way, I don't think you can look for any particular addiction. Gaming is an easy target when it comes to addiction because it is legal, cheap and trivial to access. How about looking for people who have similar addictions to, say, knitting, surfing, chess and rogaining! This will give you a much better understanding of a "addictive personality".
So if I extract the concept of psychological addiction down to its core, it means the undertaking of some task/activity to the detriment of the rest of life, such as family/social activity/work/finances/spirituality or all of these things. I think the danger is asking WHO defines what is "normal" in all of these areas. If you want to be a bachelor(ette) and play computer games solely for your recreation, do it. If you want to play WoW on a Sunday morning instead of church, it is your choice (a particularly interesting choice for those clerics). If you are healthy, happy and content with your life, chances are you a not addicted.
Please note that I am not disparaging those addicted users or the concept of addiction, I'm just pointing out that we have no clear measure of psychological addiction in the same way we do of physical addiction. And those with alternative lifestyles may considered to be addicted when they do not simply meet the simplistic concept of "normal".
I'd have to disagree with Breaker1. There is a LOT of difference between a bus/gov IT department and a school IT department. The main difference is oversight. In business, IT is given a clear picture of what it needs to achieve, with what support (whether that is financial, HR or policy/procedural). In a school pseudo-anarchy rules.....and that's from the teaching departments. Each department is its own little fiefdom and no one talks to each other. The most common occurance of this is where one department wants a "vital teaching aid" (aka certain software package) installed in lab. Timeframe for completion of this....45mins (basically one teaching period.
This presents one of 3 scenarios
1) You do it.......stress-o-meter reaches critical 2) You don't do it for legitimate reason, such as class is already using those computers so you don't have access 3) You try to claim some clarification from the principal about decreasing the stability of the lab image by installing softare ad-hoc. He/She takes department head and explains that this isn't done and procedures have to be followed.
HAH! For those of you who are laughing must have worked in a school IT environment as you all know that NUMBER 3 WILL NEVER HAPPEN. A principal putting in some policy benefitting IT and taking some power away from the teachers....cmon, you have to be kidding!
So you are left with two possible outcomes 1) You are seen as a angel by the requesting department for making it happen.....until you have to refuse the next time - then you are the devil incarnate. The spin off from this outcome means that more requests will happen from other departments because you can already make it happen so it has become SOP (Standard Operation Procedure). Of course if this install breaks other software then you are the devil incarnate.
2) You refuse - you are the devil incarnate. And don't try to justify yourself.....there is no justification from the devil incarnate. Of course the spin off from this option is that teachers talk and you become the entire schools devil incarnate because you are just not a "Can Do" person. Generally speaking once this happens, being fired or an nervous breakdown is very soon to follow.
So the biggest difference in business (at least those businesses that have a small amount of success) is that oversight from a manager who can broker requests like that. It isn't just the IT guy being difficult, but there is a procedure that can be followed that everyone (forced or not) can agree upon.
Anyway, enough of reminiscing (shudder, twitch, twitch), I did try to avoid being put into a scenario like this by being proactive.
At the beginning of term 4 (last term of the year here in West Aus) I sent out a memo to the departments asking them to list what software packages they will require in the new year. I also explained that this would allow me to test them all and ensure that they work. The response I got back generally was "All the ones we used this year, plus a few more for next year that we haven't nailed down yet". So I bided my time and with several weeks to go in the term I requested the same information. I was told that we needed all the ones from this year and not sure yet about the new ones. I followed up with the departments, ask them when they would know. I was told, "When we get around to it".
I'll admit at this point in time, I bitched to my higher ups about lack of co-operation and lack of planning being undertaken by the department. I was told to not be a whiner and to bend over and take whatever the departments wanted to use.
So I decided to play this out and see what happened.
I received requests for installation 3 days prior to the beginning of the term. 32 of them, 8 of which needed to be in prior to the 3rd day of term.
Frustration! Yes please! Care factor of management 0(zero).
Just another year.
*Please note that it was extremely soon after this that I left the school and have sworn NEVER to go back*
I'll definitely agree with OverZeeTop.....the priorities of an IT department are to keep things running. That is why it takes a while to roll out a new OS...changes are bad for stability.
I'll put it another way......in IT, if grades were given out, IT could only ever get a C because it is satisfactory. One mistake and it is an F. Forever! So there is no incentive to help you! They are never going to get an A!
Oh, and don't delude yourself like these other recent graduates with stars in their eyes.......talking to upper management isn't going to work. In fact you are likely to get a reputation as a troublemaker that will stick with you across jobs.
So, how to get things moving. Or at least, shift the frustation away.
1) Play their game. Ask for a detailed list (by email) of exactly what you need to do to get the memory in. Do this EVERY time you need IT to do something. This should result in either:
* A checklist for you to put marks against so you know when it is going to happen. Be sure to attach this checklist to your request, all ticked!
* A scramble by IT to create a list. This should (after a couple of your requests) result in the realisation by the IT department that it is easier to do your requests than create these lists.
2) Ignore IT except for the essentials. Get buy in from your management to set up a "test" network. After an appropriate amount of time, turn this "live". The only request that goes to IT is to change the DNS entries. The trick here is to ensure that EVERYONE thinks it is only a test network otherwise IT will get grumpy
3) Don't do IT's work for them. Make them chase you! Ignore the Hardware installation. Just keep within previous workflows and make changes. If the database falls over, log a job. Once they have figured out that they need more memory, give them your Cost Code and let them buy it and install it. You come out a hero as you haven't tried to fund this out of the IT budget.
4) Keep your manager/project manager up to date on the progress. Every time they ask, tell them where it is at. In my experience this works extremely well. Once you have had 6 progress meetings with you and you can detail all the hoops that have been set up and negotiated, your boss may make it his crusade to make it easier next time.
5) Discuss with HR your increasing frustration and see if you can shift elsewhere. Hopefully this may open up a dialogue about ways to deal with the IT mob.
5) Resign. Be as explicit (about the frustration, not in language) in your resignation letter as possible. If it gets through to the HR, maybe it will help in the long run...at least you don't have to deal with it.
Oh, keep everything via email. No more phone calls! Make these guys/gals accountable for what they tell you and make you do. And it's also a good idea to keep printouts of these emails. You never know when might happen.
I'm going to attempt to answer this question. I've been in schools and government and I see the slide toward using "SECURITY" as a way of managing workers. And I think this has to stop.
I'll explain what I mean. Security, as most employers define it, is to keep the IT resources available for "Legitimate Use". Now with firewalls and proxies you can define for the employees exactly WHAT legitimate use is. Except you need another IT department to deal with monitoring blacklists, removing sites from blacklists for legitimate purposes and analysing logs - assuming you want the the system to work effectively AND maintain productivity. And all this in the name of Security.
How about taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. Here in Australia we have laws that determine what we can and can't see. Various magazines can only be sold to adults and pretty much everything comes with a classification rating. On top of that we have various other legislation that basically says "Don't discriminate" and this means no girlie posters/magazines where someone may be offended. And workplaces, abiding by that legislation, have procedures to follow in the case of a breach of one of these laws.
SO! Why block these websites? If someone detects this (either by logs OR by walking past) then there is a clear procedure to follow. Why should something being viewed on a computer screen be any different than printed. The answer is - BECAUSE SYSADMINS HAVE THE TOOLS TO STOP IT!
I disagree with using these tools because it is a "quick fix" solution for management (a handball if you will) which becomes one of the biggest headaches for the IT department. If you already have the procedures, then follow them!
I'll extend this further by taking the given example of Google Groups. For what reason is this being banned? Does it contravene any legislation? NO! Does it contravene any Human Resource policy? NO! What it does do is allow staff to spend time not doing work. Now, I seem to recall that, once upon a time, workers not doing work were sacked! If you were in derelict of your duty, a reprimand was issued. After this it was "Here is the door". So follow this well established procedure. Don't force staff into a shoe box. Reward good workers with latitude and get rid of the dead wood!
So the answer to your question is - Make a clear distinction between what is necessary for security and what is purely management not wanting to manage. Security is about patching machines, antivirus and appropriate controls. Security is NOT about content management. Yes, there are some grey areas (like email and firewalls) but if you can make that distinction then lineballs become easier to deal with.
**Please note that I have a different opinion where minors are concerned.
1) You are obviously an undervalued employee as you are keeping all the balls in the air while taking the stress upon yourself. 2) Management are, if not happy, accepting of the way things are. So there is no impetus to make a change. You are considering ways of providing this impetus. 3) The only sure way of making this change is to resign. This may not change the business, but it will be a change for you.
I've been in this situation before (at a school ) and my blood pressure went from a lovely 120/80 to 160/110. Not the best for the health. But before I quit I tried: 1) Providing a organisation wide questionaire and analysis. Trust me, there is always stuff that they want improved and if you spin it the right way, requires more IT support 2) Providing an analysis of current outstanding jobs/projects and the amount of man-hours required to complete them. Once you throw in day-to-day activities (backups, security etc) these usually put completion times in the "months" category. Hopefully this will convince them. 3) Provide articles and white papers about staffing levels. Google it and you will find. If you can't, email me and I'll try and provide you with the links. In my situation we had a department of 3 and the most conservative analysis said we required 8. 4) Job logging system. Incoming calls should be logged and a fortnightly/monthly analysis provided to management. This should then show them how much work you are actually doing. 5) Start timesheets and provide these to management. If they accept the these, then start mentioning "overtime rates". Try to give them a financial reason to employ more staff. 6) Work to rule. No more "nice guy". Start work when you should and leave when you should. If someone wants something done immediately, it can wait until tomorrow morning. Before undertaking this, ensure you have complied with 7. 7) Prep your resignation. Get a reference from management or peer (if management are a bunch of bastards). Start looking for work. Take a holiday (employee appreciation day!, I love it) and do a technical/upskilling course. 8) Having exhausted all the possibilities, quit. Your health and your social life/family will appreciate you for it. Sorry MonkElectric, I disagree.....if you get to this stage, NO amount of money is worth staying for, even if they offer it.
I'll leave you with a thought - "The only problem about doing something right the first time is that no one understands HOW BLOODY DIFFICULT IT WAS!
Selecting the methodology for performing research like this must have been difficult. I believe there is already numerous questions that ask you about the various inputs to your methodology.
So my interest is in a different area. The scenario described is based purely on E-Commerce and your conclusions reflect that a Windows Server solution will cause less "IT pain" than a SUSE Linux Solution. My question is thus:
Are there any scenarios in which you suspect a Windows Server Solution is more likely to cause more IT pain? And consequently have you any more research "in the pipe" to test this?
I think the amount of advertising that the ordinary person is exposed to on a daily basis is obscene. Even if you don't follow the mass media there are more than enough billboards, flyers and other marketing paraphenalia that attempt to lodge themselves in your mind.
To this end I believe that the current generation have developed, not only the tools to eliminate (or reduce) advertising (fast forwarding, adblock for firefox, popup blockers etc) but also the mental ability to ignore advertisements. I had a bit of a laugh when another poster said something complimentary about the ads on Slashdot. I laughed because I don't even see the ads any more. I am sure that this is a common occurence of regular internet users.
So why are we talking about this (again!;-) ). Because the marketing people KNOW that we are ignoring the ads and their (naive IMHO) response is to make them bigger, louder and more obnoxious. And realistically it is these ads that annoy the most users and are therefore on most (sane) people's block list. And because of this the tools to block ads get easier to use, and we start applying them to smaller ads, or even ads that don't really annoy us. Why? Because we know that the ads ARE going to get bigger, and if we stop them now, we don't have to see the bigger ones.
So what's the answer. I don't really know, but I do take umbrage at people who seem to think that the argument is purely ADs -v- Subscription/Pay-per-view. Why lock yourself into such a mindset? It isn't an either/or, there is a continuum through these two and others. Think outside this duality and find other ways of displaying your wares.
Ads that I DO like. User reviews and "People who bought this also liked...." from sites such as Amazon. Not just targeted, but very specialised to what I am purchasing, not me. Lets see more of, well, not exactly independant, but at least partially unbiased ads.
So I am a cynic. I do not believe any marketing spiel/guff/trash. None of it is true. What I do believe in is my own testing, the opinions of peers and friends and independant reviews, in that order. And because I don't believe ads, why should be subjected to them.
The only thing to take from ads is this. It is all about choice. Choose not to watch them.
If this is your first year budget (ie. something that management just thought might work) then chances are you are going to have been in a holding pattern for the last several years (just fixing things).
So take this opportunity to do a bit more of forward planning. I am sure you have some idea of what is required to get the system to a reasonable level right now. However be aware this figure is likely to scare the hell out of management. So take the next step and work out what you will need the following year as well. Chances are you will see a smaller amount that management can appreciate. It also gives the accountants some figures to play with (well we can't afford the new switch this year, but we can put it off to next year).
But as some of the posters have said here, go and talk to the accountant or other management figure that holds the purse strings! It is in this negotiation that you will see certain constraints that you will need to work within, as well as provide them with your view of the current situation and your priorities. If you can negotiate effectively then you will see your budget develop before your eyes with preapproval.
But before this, just prepare what you need!
So again, look up to three years. Factor in licenses, consumables and other things that you will purchasing yearly. Call this the recurrent budget. This isn't going to change majorly from year to year (with the exception below).
Then look at the capital items. These are the big purchases that need to happen and are bought infrequently (servers, plotters etc). Work these on a yearly basis, just give the account time to find the money (ie. Let him/her know well before the next budgeting cycle).
Once you have your capital items, use this to change the recurrent budget. If you buy another server, you will need to increase the recurrent licensing line. If you buy another plotter, increase your consumables.
And above all, try to factor in NEW staff. As soon as a new staff member arrives, this will more than likely necessitate a new computer, licencing and consumables. Try and factor a cost for this and let the accountant know. He/she already has costs (recruiting, pay, superannuation etc) associated with another staff member. Another associated cost makes both your life easier. Of course replacements don't count!;-)
And the last bit is, don't feel guilty! Your first budget will not go far towards fixing all of the problems and risks you currently experience. So if the line item for new server gets axed and 6 months later the server dies, don't feel guilty. You did your best! Sticking the final budget to your office door may be the best way to avoid angry users!
Because IANAL (and an Aussie), could someone PLEASE explain why people are getting confused with the idea of GPL and Copywrite? I though that they are two distinct concepts, with differing laws.
Because Mattel now owns the LICENSE to the CPHack and the Copywrite to the essay (aka HOWTO) what is now the status of the GPL? Does Mattel have the right to change the GPL status on EXISTING versions?
Does the US have a Freedom of Information act where people can request a copy of the essay for study and personal use (like AU does)?
Can anybody help me (and I mean for the questions, not my mental state!;-) )
The problem faced over here (in AU) is two-fold. And it is purely a political basis.
1) The bills passed before government are not debated solely on their merits. Political "deals" are done (you support my bill, i'll support yours) and even EXPECTED. Hence to achieve anything in governement, pathetic and unwarrented bills become law, purely because a worthwhile bill needs support
2) We have a two party preferred election over here. If you vote for any other party, votes from that party are counted against a preferred party OF THE VOTED parties choice! This is called preferential voting. Which is why I ALWAYS fill in ALL the boxes for the house of Reps.
Lets see this in action. I vote for the pro-choice internet party. Deals are done before the election so that any vote that is given to PCI is then given to the Liberal Party! So who do you vote for? It doesn't make a difference one way or another!!! THAT is the problem with AU politics. Damned if you do and fined if you don't! That's right! All AU citizens without a good reason are required by law to vote. Makes a mockery of the entire system!
So while the internet is gaining popularity here in AU, there is still the voting masses who have no idea that this denial of freedom of speech is going on! Or even care!
It would also be refreshing to see your duly elected representative listen to their electorate, say, my electorate does not agree with my party, and cross the floor occasionally! But no, why break with tradition!
I would have to say that I agree wholeheartedly with the above argument. Schools are seen as a 9-3 babysitter where they are solely responsible for the education of a student. And the argument that schools are failing are perhaps the crying out of parents who fail in the teaching responsibility of the parents.
I don't imply this to mean that parents HAVE to teach their children, but provide an atmosphere that promotes learning. And provide encouragement to the children to surpass the knowledge of the parent.
I was fortunate to have parents that read to me while I was still a toddler, and then progressed on to teaching me how to read. Hence being able to read before starting school was a BIG leap ahead of the rest of my class mates. I am sure that this progressed my learning more than any or all of my teachers!
While I do think that there is a great many problems with the school system (particularly here in West AU) many of these problems can be overcome with parental help.
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Like most of the posters here it seems I've been through this hurdle myself.
Firstly I think that charging them for "friendly help" is a bit steep. I'm much more of a "lets discuss and work it out" sort of guy. So here are the rules which I impart.
ALWAYS:
1) Have a separate partition/HDD for files. Have the user save their files to this area.
2) Despite what PC vendors say, AntiVirus is not an option, it is mandatory
3) Anti-spyware is also mandatory
4) A firewall is mandatory
5) I support ONLY the Mozilla suite. IE and Outlook are too much trouble.
6) Have an image (ghost/dd/whatever) that you can restore and save it to the 2nd Partition/HDD where the user files are
7) Ensure that the 2nd Partition/HDD gets backed up! Or at least make the user accountable for it.
8) Ensure all the updates are run on at least a weekly basis
DISCUSSION POINTS:
1) Discuss the point at which the machine get restored. This can be at either your or the users request. ie. "This is going to take me at least 4 hours to fix. However I can restore it and you will be up in 30mins".
2) Discuss safe practices of surfing. ie. "If you don't click on unknown email attachments then your machine will keep running for longer without being restored".
3) Discuss user level privileges. ie. "I can drop your level of access down so that if something does happen to your computer it is unlikely that you will need a complete restore"
4) Discuss your support options. ie. I'm happy to help you for 30 mins every couple of weeks or when I'm over, but if it becomes more than this then we will need to get some outside help".
5) Discuss and reiterate the outcome of a restore ie. "You will need to spend several hours reinstalling all your programs after a restore and any customisations to your desktop will be lost"
6) Discuss the importance of saving files off "C:". ie. "Any files you save on C: WILL be deleted after a restore".
7) Discuss the importance of backups ie. "If you have either a bad virus or a hardware failure we will need to restore your data from a backup. If you haven't backed up then you WILL lose data"
I find that heavy handed tactics such as denying them admin rights or mentioning fees really causes grief in a family relationship. However frank discussion of expectations and outcomes really does make things easier in the long run. If you can get across the message that a restore is something to be avoided but makes your computer usable again then you should have few problems and requests will be carefully weighted before you are approached.
Also I'd think about some VNC/Terminal Server setup if you and your family are on broadband. Haven't crossed that hurdle myself thanks to the poor rollout of ADSL here in Australia, but definately something to do in the future!
Of course you can't please some users. If your problem is PEBCAK then don't do support. If you aren't getting the respect you deserve as a professional support person then don't do support.
Man, this was exactly what I was going to post. For god sake, if you are forced into this travesty of providing service then provide an alternative to management.
I'd suggest that you form a partnership with a local computer service where you agree to send these machines to them for fixing. Your responsibilities will be getting them to fill in the 3rd party forms, packaging the computers, getting them to and from the service centre and monitoring the status of the jobs.
I'd suggest that this would reduce costs SIGNIFICANTLY over running it in house and the liability (not to mention stress) goes to someone else. And if they have a problem they can take it up with someone who they don't work with.
If your company really wants to give the home computer abusers a warm and fuzzy feeling they can subsidise the cost of repairs.
I think that there is a good point here. Isn't there a certain amount of a social acceptability criteria that creeps in through any of these studies? Currently computer games are seen as "tolerable" by the majority of the population, but certainly not an acceptable replacement to television!
Lets look at this logically with a different context, say camping. I am sure that there are people who love camping, spend 36 hours on a weekend with minimal human interaction, turn up to work tired on Monday morning and then spend 4-5 hours per night planning their next trip, checking equipment, purchasing supplies etc. So I put it to you, how is this different to most "addicted" gamers.
Well the answer is that camping is seen as "good for you" because it gets you "outdoors". It is seen as wholesome and family friendly. Because of this, "addiction" to camping is negligible (or non-existent).
I think society is struggling to come to terms with computer addiction, a term I use loosely to include the current spate of addictions, such as gaming addiction, ebay addiction, email addiction and coding addiction (although this isn't something you will hear about because this is generally good for society or at least the financial bottom line). Society doesn't see using a computer for recreational purposes on the same level as watching television with arguments such as "it doesn't encourage interaction with other people" and "it's not exactly something you can discuss with someone the next day". Well I don't feel this is true any more, primarily because I believe that my online friends are as real as my rl friends. And with the increase in the number of gamers (particularly thanks to WoW) I find I can discuss, maybe not strategies, but at least what attracts me to the game with my work collegues.
So I respect the research that is being undertaken to determine the cause and hopefully the cure to these addictions, but in some ways, particularly that psychological way, I don't think you can look for any particular addiction. Gaming is an easy target when it comes to addiction because it is legal, cheap and trivial to access. How about looking for people who have similar addictions to, say, knitting, surfing, chess and rogaining! This will give you a much better understanding of a "addictive personality".
So if I extract the concept of psychological addiction down to its core, it means the undertaking of some task/activity to the detriment of the rest of life, such as family/social activity/work/finances/spirituality or all of these things. I think the danger is asking WHO defines what is "normal" in all of these areas. If you want to be a bachelor(ette) and play computer games solely for your recreation, do it. If you want to play WoW on a Sunday morning instead of church, it is your choice (a particularly interesting choice for those clerics). If you are healthy, happy and content with your life, chances are you a not addicted.
Please note that I am not disparaging those addicted users or the concept of addiction, I'm just pointing out that we have no clear measure of psychological addiction in the same way we do of physical addiction. And those with alternative lifestyles may considered to be addicted when they do not simply meet the simplistic concept of "normal".
I'd have to disagree with Breaker1. There is a LOT of difference between a bus/gov IT department and a school IT department. The main difference is oversight. In business, IT is given a clear picture of what it needs to achieve, with what support (whether that is financial, HR or policy/procedural). In a school pseudo-anarchy rules.....and that's from the teaching departments. Each department is its own little fiefdom and no one talks to each other. The most common occurance of this is where one department wants a "vital teaching aid" (aka certain software package) installed in lab. Timeframe for completion of this....45mins (basically one teaching period.
This presents one of 3 scenarios
1) You do it.......stress-o-meter reaches critical
2) You don't do it for legitimate reason, such as class is already using those computers so you don't have access
3) You try to claim some clarification from the principal about decreasing the stability of the lab image by installing softare ad-hoc. He/She takes department head and explains that this isn't done and procedures have to be followed.
HAH! For those of you who are laughing must have worked in a school IT environment as you all know that NUMBER 3 WILL NEVER HAPPEN. A principal putting in some policy benefitting IT and taking some power away from the teachers....cmon, you have to be kidding!
So you are left with two possible outcomes
1) You are seen as a angel by the requesting department for making it happen.....until you have to refuse the next time - then you are the devil incarnate. The spin off from this outcome means that more requests will happen from other departments because you can already make it happen so it has become SOP (Standard Operation Procedure). Of course if this install breaks other software then you are the devil incarnate.
2) You refuse - you are the devil incarnate. And don't try to justify yourself.....there is no justification from the devil incarnate. Of course the spin off from this option is that teachers talk and you become the entire schools devil incarnate because you are just not a "Can Do" person. Generally speaking once this happens, being fired or an nervous breakdown is very soon to follow.
So the biggest difference in business (at least those businesses that have a small amount of success) is that oversight from a manager who can broker requests like that. It isn't just the IT guy being difficult, but there is a procedure that can be followed that everyone (forced or not) can agree upon.
Anyway, enough of reminiscing (shudder, twitch, twitch), I did try to avoid being put into a scenario like this by being proactive.
At the beginning of term 4 (last term of the year here in West Aus) I sent out a memo to the departments asking them to list what software packages they will require in the new year. I also explained that this would allow me to test them all and ensure that they work. The response I got back generally was "All the ones we used this year, plus a few more for next year that we haven't nailed down yet". So I bided my time and with several weeks to go in the term I requested the same information. I was told that we needed all the ones from this year and not sure yet about the new ones. I followed up with the departments, ask them when they would know. I was told, "When we get around to it".
I'll admit at this point in time, I bitched to my higher ups about lack of co-operation and lack of planning being undertaken by the department. I was told to not be a whiner and to bend over and take whatever the departments wanted to use.
So I decided to play this out and see what happened.
I received requests for installation 3 days prior to the beginning of the term. 32 of them, 8 of which needed to be in prior to the 3rd day of term.
Frustration! Yes please! Care factor of management 0(zero).
Just another year.
*Please note that it was extremely soon after this that I left the school and have sworn NEVER to go back*
Damn fine post....wish I could MOD it up.
I'll definitely agree with OverZeeTop.....the priorities of an IT department are to keep things running. That is why it takes a while to roll out a new OS...changes are bad for stability.
I'll put it another way......in IT, if grades were given out, IT could only ever get a C because it is satisfactory. One mistake and it is an F. Forever! So there is no incentive to help you! They are never going to get an A!
Oh, and don't delude yourself like these other recent graduates with stars in their eyes.......talking to upper management isn't going to work. In fact you are likely to get a reputation as a troublemaker that will stick with you across jobs.
So, how to get things moving. Or at least, shift the frustation away.
1) Play their game. Ask for a detailed list (by email) of exactly what you need to do to get the memory in. Do this EVERY time you need IT to do something. This should result in either:
* A checklist for you to put marks against so you know when it is going to happen. Be sure to attach this checklist to your request, all ticked!
* A scramble by IT to create a list. This should (after a couple of your requests) result in the realisation by the IT department that it is easier to do your requests than create these lists.
2) Ignore IT except for the essentials. Get buy in from your management to set up a "test" network. After an appropriate amount of time, turn this "live". The only request that goes to IT is to change the DNS entries. The trick here is to ensure that EVERYONE thinks it is only a test network otherwise IT will get grumpy
3) Don't do IT's work for them. Make them chase you! Ignore the Hardware installation. Just keep within previous workflows and make changes. If the database falls over, log a job. Once they have figured out that they need more memory, give them your Cost Code and let them buy it and install it. You come out a hero as you haven't tried to fund this out of the IT budget.
4) Keep your manager/project manager up to date on the progress. Every time they ask, tell them where it is at. In my experience this works extremely well. Once you have had 6 progress meetings with you and you can detail all the hoops that have been set up and negotiated, your boss may make it his crusade to make it easier next time.
5) Discuss with HR your increasing frustration and see if you can shift elsewhere. Hopefully this may open up a dialogue about ways to deal with the IT mob.
5) Resign. Be as explicit (about the frustration, not in language) in your resignation letter as possible. If it gets through to the HR, maybe it will help in the long run...at least you don't have to deal with it.
Oh, keep everything via email. No more phone calls! Make these guys/gals accountable for what they tell you and make you do. And it's also a good idea to keep printouts of these emails. You never know when might happen.
I'm going to attempt to answer this question. I've been in schools and government and I see the slide toward using "SECURITY" as a way of managing workers. And I think this has to stop.
I'll explain what I mean. Security, as most employers define it, is to keep the IT resources available for "Legitimate Use". Now with firewalls and proxies you can define for the employees exactly WHAT legitimate use is. Except you need another IT department to deal with monitoring blacklists, removing sites from blacklists for legitimate purposes and analysing logs - assuming you want the the system to work effectively AND maintain productivity. And all this in the name of Security.
How about taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. Here in Australia we have laws that determine what we can and can't see. Various magazines can only be sold to adults and pretty much everything comes with a classification rating. On top of that we have various other legislation that basically says "Don't discriminate" and this means no girlie posters/magazines where someone may be offended. And workplaces, abiding by that legislation, have procedures to follow in the case of a breach of one of these laws.
SO! Why block these websites? If someone detects this (either by logs OR by walking past) then there is a clear procedure to follow. Why should something being viewed on a computer screen be any different than printed. The answer is - BECAUSE SYSADMINS HAVE THE TOOLS TO STOP IT!
I disagree with using these tools because it is a "quick fix" solution for management (a handball if you will) which becomes one of the biggest headaches for the IT department. If you already have the procedures, then follow them!
I'll extend this further by taking the given example of Google Groups. For what reason is this being banned? Does it contravene any legislation? NO! Does it contravene any Human Resource policy? NO! What it does do is allow staff to spend time not doing work. Now, I seem to recall that, once upon a time, workers not doing work were sacked! If you were in derelict of your duty, a reprimand was issued. After this it was "Here is the door". So follow this well established procedure. Don't force staff into a shoe box. Reward good workers with latitude and get rid of the dead wood!
So the answer to your question is - Make a clear distinction between what is necessary for security and what is purely management not wanting to manage. Security is about patching machines, antivirus and appropriate controls. Security is NOT about content management. Yes, there are some grey areas (like email and firewalls) but if you can make that distinction then lineballs become easier to deal with.
**Please note that I have a different opinion where minors are concerned.
I wish I could mod this guy higher!
I'll try and link what the other guys are saying.
1) You are obviously an undervalued employee as you are keeping all the balls in the air while taking the stress upon yourself.
2) Management are, if not happy, accepting of the way things are. So there is no impetus to make a change. You are considering ways of providing this impetus.
3) The only sure way of making this change is to resign. This may not change the business, but it will be a change for you.
I've been in this situation before (at a school ) and my blood pressure went from a lovely 120/80 to 160/110. Not the best for the health. But before I quit I tried:
1) Providing a organisation wide questionaire and analysis. Trust me, there is always stuff that they want improved and if you spin it the right way, requires more IT support
2) Providing an analysis of current outstanding jobs/projects and the amount of man-hours required to complete them. Once you throw in day-to-day activities (backups, security etc) these usually put completion times in the "months" category. Hopefully this will convince them.
3) Provide articles and white papers about staffing levels. Google it and you will find. If you can't, email me and I'll try and provide you with the links. In my situation we had a department of 3 and the most conservative analysis said we required 8.
4) Job logging system. Incoming calls should be logged and a fortnightly/monthly analysis provided to management. This should then show them how much work you are actually doing.
5) Start timesheets and provide these to management. If they accept the these, then start mentioning "overtime rates". Try to give them a financial reason to employ more staff.
6) Work to rule. No more "nice guy". Start work when you should and leave when you should. If someone wants something done immediately, it can wait until tomorrow morning. Before undertaking this, ensure you have complied with 7.
7) Prep your resignation. Get a reference from management or peer (if management are a bunch of bastards). Start looking for work. Take a holiday (employee appreciation day!, I love it) and do a technical/upskilling course.
8) Having exhausted all the possibilities, quit. Your health and your social life/family will appreciate you for it. Sorry MonkElectric, I disagree.....if you get to this stage, NO amount of money is worth staying for, even if they offer it.
I'll leave you with a thought - "The only problem about doing something right the first time is that no one understands HOW BLOODY DIFFICULT IT WAS!
Good luck in whichever direction this takes you.
Dr. Thompson
Selecting the methodology for performing research like this must have been difficult. I believe there is already numerous questions that ask you about the various inputs to your methodology.
So my interest is in a different area. The scenario described is based purely on E-Commerce and your conclusions reflect that a Windows Server solution will cause less "IT pain" than a SUSE Linux Solution. My question is thus:
Are there any scenarios in which you suspect a Windows Server Solution is more likely to cause more IT pain? And consequently have you any more research "in the pipe" to test this?
Regards
Darrell
My name is Anonymous Coward.
You killed my post.
Prepare to die.
I think the amount of advertising that the ordinary person is exposed to on a daily basis is obscene. Even if you don't follow the mass media there are more than enough billboards, flyers and other marketing paraphenalia that attempt to lodge themselves in your mind.
;-) ). Because the marketing people KNOW that we are ignoring the ads and their (naive IMHO) response is to make them bigger, louder and more obnoxious. And realistically it is these ads that annoy the most users and are therefore on most (sane) people's block list. And because of this the tools to block ads get easier to use, and we start applying them to smaller ads, or even ads that don't really annoy us. Why? Because we know that the ads ARE going to get bigger, and if we stop them now, we don't have to see the bigger ones.
To this end I believe that the current generation have developed, not only the tools to eliminate (or reduce) advertising (fast forwarding, adblock for firefox, popup blockers etc) but also the mental ability to ignore advertisements. I had a bit of a laugh when another poster said something complimentary about the ads on Slashdot. I laughed because I don't even see the ads any more. I am sure that this is a common occurence of regular internet users.
So why are we talking about this (again!
So what's the answer. I don't really know, but I do take umbrage at people who seem to think that the argument is purely ADs -v- Subscription/Pay-per-view. Why lock yourself into such a mindset? It isn't an either/or, there is a continuum through these two and others. Think outside this duality and find other ways of displaying your wares.
Ads that I DO like. User reviews and "People who bought this also liked...." from sites such as Amazon. Not just targeted, but very specialised to what I am purchasing, not me. Lets see more of, well, not exactly independant, but at least partially unbiased ads.
So I am a cynic. I do not believe any marketing spiel/guff/trash. None of it is true. What I do believe in is my own testing, the opinions of peers and friends and independant reviews, in that order. And because I don't believe ads, why should be subjected to them.
The only thing to take from ads is this. It is all about choice. Choose not to watch them.
If this is your first year budget (ie. something that management just thought might work) then chances are you are going to have been in a holding pattern for the last several years (just fixing things).
;-)
So take this opportunity to do a bit more of forward planning. I am sure you have some idea of what is required to get the system to a reasonable level right now. However be aware this figure is likely to scare the hell out of management. So take the next step and work out what you will need the following year as well. Chances are you will see a smaller amount that management can appreciate. It also gives the accountants some figures to play with (well we can't afford the new switch this year, but we can put it off to next year).
But as some of the posters have said here, go and talk to the accountant or other management figure that holds the purse strings! It is in this negotiation that you will see certain constraints that you will need to work within, as well as provide them with your view of the current situation and your priorities. If you can negotiate effectively then you will see your budget develop before your eyes with preapproval.
But before this, just prepare what you need!
So again, look up to three years. Factor in licenses, consumables and other things that you will purchasing yearly. Call this the recurrent budget. This isn't going to change majorly from year to year (with the exception below).
Then look at the capital items. These are the big purchases that need to happen and are bought infrequently (servers, plotters etc). Work these on a yearly basis, just give the account time to find the money (ie. Let him/her know well before the next budgeting cycle).
Once you have your capital items, use this to change the recurrent budget. If you buy another server, you will need to increase the recurrent licensing line. If you buy another plotter, increase your consumables.
And above all, try to factor in NEW staff. As soon as a new staff member arrives, this will more than likely necessitate a new computer, licencing and consumables. Try and factor a cost for this and let the accountant know. He/she already has costs (recruiting, pay, superannuation etc) associated with another staff member. Another associated cost makes both your life easier. Of course replacements don't count!
And the last bit is, don't feel guilty! Your first budget will not go far towards fixing all of the problems and risks you currently experience. So if the line item for new server gets axed and 6 months later the server dies, don't feel guilty. You did your best! Sticking the final budget to your office door may be the best way to avoid angry users!
Oh, IANAA. Just learnt from my mistakes.
Because Mattel now owns the LICENSE to the CPHack and the Copywrite to the essay (aka HOWTO) what is now the status of the GPL? Does Mattel have the right to change the GPL status on EXISTING versions?
Does the US have a Freedom of Information act where people can request a copy of the essay for study and personal use (like AU does)?
Can anybody help me (and I mean for the questions, not my mental state! ;-) )
Darrell
1) The bills passed before government are not debated solely on their merits. Political "deals" are done (you support my bill, i'll support yours) and even EXPECTED. Hence to achieve anything in governement, pathetic and unwarrented bills become law, purely because a worthwhile bill needs support
2) We have a two party preferred election over here. If you vote for any other party, votes from that party are counted against a preferred party OF THE VOTED parties choice! This is called preferential voting. Which is why I ALWAYS fill in ALL the boxes for the house of Reps.
Lets see this in action. I vote for the pro-choice internet party. Deals are done before the election so that any vote that is given to PCI is then given to the Liberal Party! So who do you vote for? It doesn't make a difference one way or another!!! THAT is the problem with AU politics. Damned if you do and fined if you don't! That's right! All AU citizens without a good reason are required by law to vote. Makes a mockery of the entire system!
So while the internet is gaining popularity here in AU, there is still the voting masses who have no idea that this denial of freedom of speech is going on! Or even care!
It would also be refreshing to see your duly elected representative listen to their electorate, say, my electorate does not agree with my party, and cross the floor occasionally! But no, why break with tradition!
Darrell
*Thank god I switched to Linux when I did!*
I don't imply this to mean that parents HAVE to teach their children, but provide an atmosphere that promotes learning. And provide encouragement to the children to surpass the knowledge of the parent.
I was fortunate to have parents that read to me while I was still a toddler, and then progressed on to teaching me how to read. Hence being able to read before starting school was a BIG leap ahead of the rest of my class mates. I am sure that this progressed my learning more than any or all of my teachers!
While I do think that there is a great many problems with the school system (particularly here in West AU) many of these problems can be overcome with parental help.