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There I go again, starting trouble...
Sep. 10th, 2003 10:10 amSo the company I work for is in a small business tech incubator affiliated with the state university. Problem is, they don't seem to understand that we are not just a bunch of students. They keep trying to apply all these "standard" policies to us, and mandate we must obey them if we want to be here.
Example 1: Network access. According to their rules, there are numerous things we can't do. Like run a server on their network. Um, hello? Did it ever occur to you that a TECH business might do something TECH like run a server? Also, we can not use email for profit purposes, we cannot use instant messaging software, cannot download anything large that might reduce bandwidth, blah blah blah. It goes on and on. It's just silly. It's made for state employees.
Example 2: We have two communal meeting room facilities here. We have to schedule them in advance, which I am okay with, within reason. But, today, they emailed and said we had to scheudle them 30 minutes in advance or we couldn't use them. Two problems here. One, sometimes clients just show up, or meetings take place on short notice. Two, the admin staff isn't here half the hours that the businesses are! They come in at 9, take an hour lunch, and leave at 4:30. A lot of meetings take place after hours, as that's the only time people can spare. So, they put me in the position of saying "Sorry, I'm not allowed to meet on such short notice", or "sorry, I have to wait until tomorrow when admin will unlock the room for me".
Up to now I have been trying to use their little (ever increasingly Nazi-like) procedures, but they don't work. For instance, you have to do all suggestions, reservations, requests through the website. So, say I disagree with the policy. I fill in the little form. I hit the button. It says my suggestion will receive "due consideration", and shows an animation of a crumped piece of paper going through a little basketball hoop into a trash can. Professional, eh? 75% of my requests don't get an acknowledgement, and the ones that are acknowledged are rather rudely rebuffed.
Now, I don't really give a fuck, but since I have to work here I am more than willing to point out when the emperor has no clothes. So, when they sent the policy update about example 2, I replied to ALL, said it wasn't good for business, and to force me to have a "30-minute waiting period" before I can meet with a client is ludicrous. Maybe it's like a handgun purchase "cooling off" period, to make sure I don't lose my temper and schedule a meeting I'll regret. Well, it took my boss 20 minutes to get from the front door of the building to our office, because the building administrator grabbed him and bitched about my email. "It's supposed to go through channels!" they cried, their voices uneven and panicking. I must have missed the Nazi policy update about that one. I don't need no steenkin channels. :)
Example 1: Network access. According to their rules, there are numerous things we can't do. Like run a server on their network. Um, hello? Did it ever occur to you that a TECH business might do something TECH like run a server? Also, we can not use email for profit purposes, we cannot use instant messaging software, cannot download anything large that might reduce bandwidth, blah blah blah. It goes on and on. It's just silly. It's made for state employees.
Example 2: We have two communal meeting room facilities here. We have to schedule them in advance, which I am okay with, within reason. But, today, they emailed and said we had to scheudle them 30 minutes in advance or we couldn't use them. Two problems here. One, sometimes clients just show up, or meetings take place on short notice. Two, the admin staff isn't here half the hours that the businesses are! They come in at 9, take an hour lunch, and leave at 4:30. A lot of meetings take place after hours, as that's the only time people can spare. So, they put me in the position of saying "Sorry, I'm not allowed to meet on such short notice", or "sorry, I have to wait until tomorrow when admin will unlock the room for me".
Up to now I have been trying to use their little (ever increasingly Nazi-like) procedures, but they don't work. For instance, you have to do all suggestions, reservations, requests through the website. So, say I disagree with the policy. I fill in the little form. I hit the button. It says my suggestion will receive "due consideration", and shows an animation of a crumped piece of paper going through a little basketball hoop into a trash can. Professional, eh? 75% of my requests don't get an acknowledgement, and the ones that are acknowledged are rather rudely rebuffed.
Now, I don't really give a fuck, but since I have to work here I am more than willing to point out when the emperor has no clothes. So, when they sent the policy update about example 2, I replied to ALL, said it wasn't good for business, and to force me to have a "30-minute waiting period" before I can meet with a client is ludicrous. Maybe it's like a handgun purchase "cooling off" period, to make sure I don't lose my temper and schedule a meeting I'll regret. Well, it took my boss 20 minutes to get from the front door of the building to our office, because the building administrator grabbed him and bitched about my email. "It's supposed to go through channels!" they cried, their voices uneven and panicking. I must have missed the Nazi policy update about that one. I don't need no steenkin channels. :)