[ale] Awful story...

Mon Nov 16 11:21:42 EST 2009

I understand you.  I don't disagree.

BUT in large companies the generally tend to lock machines/configs  
down to their supported models.  We all know that one size fits all.   
BUT that company is trying to make everything equal to all.  Why?   
Probably due to HR and/or legal reasons.

I am a geek (no big surprise to anyone that has met me).  Why can't I  
run Linux on my desktop if I don't require any assistance from tech  
support?  Well then everyone else in my classification would be able  
to do it also no matter if they have the knowledge or not.  HR/law  
doesn't care about if you have the skills to run Linux on your desktop  
or not.  Does everyone in your classification ( and remember those are  
pretty broad) that works there now or potentially works there have the  
skills?  If that is not a 100% yes then they are going to shut you  
down and make you run the corporate installed image (whatever that  
maybe).

Now I was lucky a few years back by working for a consulting company  
that would give you a laptop with corporate image on it.  If you  
wanted to blow it away and load your install on it, you couldbut you  
had to provide all software (no pirated software).  Which was nice  
since we could load Linux for those of us that did un*x admin work.

Scott

Sent from my mobile...

On Nov 16, 2009, at 10:56, Jim Kinney <jim.kinney at gmail.com> wrote:

> Maybe I'm just getting stubborn but I tend to strongly recommend that
> people use metric tools for metric sized hardware and SAE tools for
> SAE sized hardware.
>
> As such, I'm pretty adamant about using a Linux system to support/code
> for Linux systems. I don't support windows or that BSD clone from
> Cupertino so I have no reason to have those systems.
>
> I have been bit with the lock-in problems with nosharepoint which
> won't let me download a freakin' excel file since I don't have ie and
> all of it's problems. So I punt that to a manager-type and they can
> email the file. Ditto with visio files (which can get converted to
> powerpointless).
>
> On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 10:09 AM, Jerald Sheets <questy at gmail.com>  
> wrote:
>> Maybe I'm just a purist that way, but on my work machines it's a  
>> Linux
>> desktop or it's nothing.  (I've used Macs in the past, but they were
>> essentially iTerm sessions into my 2 Linux boxen.)
>> I make a point of asking that in the interview.  If it's a deal- 
>> breaker,
>> then there's something inherently wrong with the way business is  
>> done (in my
>> opinion, of course) and I should make the decision right then and  
>> there if I
>> want to work there.
>> At my current position, the answer was:  "You have to have what we  
>> give you,
>> but you get an extra machine, so as long as you can do your job, I  
>> don't
>> care."
>> This is the sensible, well thought-out answer.  It's predicated on me
>> getting my job done.
>> The company provided system is chained to the desk and never goes  
>> anywhere.
>>  My primary and secondary machines are Linux Boxen, I manage mostly  
>> Linux
>> Boxen with a few XServes and about 9 Solaris boxen. I use Macs at  
>> home.
>> From any workstation at any time I can do my work with any tool for  
>> those
>> platforms.
>> Yes, if I'm hungry I'll use CP/M if I have to, but I prefer to make  
>> that
>> decision, not be forced into it.  I ask in the interview, and if  
>> it's not to
>> my liking I decline there.  I think that's a more professional  
>> approach and
>> saves your potential employer's sanity (and your reputation)
>> I think the mistake the guy in the story made was not communicating  
>> well
>> enough in the interview process. (IMHO Of course.)
>> I think the mistake the two acronym'ed companies made were:   
>> Looking for a
>> Linux guru to do a Linux deployment (or conversion to Linux) for a  
>> number of
>> hosts and not expecting said guru to be a Linux user.
>> The brain-dead part of this on the employer's side was they should  
>> want the
>> person doing their Linux deployments to be so intimately familiar  
>> with Linux
>> as to use it as a desktop.
>> The brain-dead part of this on the employee's side was in not just  
>> taking
>> the offered device and keeping his trap shut.  He should've done  
>> what he
>> could in Linux and what he could in Windows.  Nothing good ever  
>> came out of
>> confusing hiring managers and big companies with details of  
>> implementation.
>>  He could've done this very well and very simply with no one above  
>> being any
>> the wiser.
>> --j
>>
>>
>>
>> On Nov 16, 2009, at 9:34 AM, Robert Heaven wrote:
>>
>> I have to concur with the replies on this... I work for a large  
>> bank (not
>> the 4-letter one) that employs/contracts large numbers of
>> contractors/outsources. And, I can assure you, this bank does NOT  
>> allow
>> anyone to access the bank's network without a bank supplied laptop  
>> equipped
>> with Windows/IE/CiscoVPN, etc.
>>
>> Do we have Linux? Yes. We have thousands of Linux machines running as
>> back-end servers. I personally take care of over 1400 FreeBSD  
>> machines
>> around the world. What do I use for a desktop? I use the bank  
>> supplied
>> laptop running Windows/IE/... I do install Firefox and use it  
>> because the
>> custom built application that runs on my FreeBSD machines doesn't  
>> support
>> IE. But, for the other intranet web sites, I use IE because the IIS  
>> based
>> web pages require it.
>>
>> Also, PMs can get pretty sensitive... the PM in this story probably  
>> got her
>> feeling hurt when she perceived this person doing an "end-run" on  
>> her when
>> he contacted tech support.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Jim Popovitch <jimpop at gmail.com>
>> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts - Yes! We run Linux! <ale at ale.org>
>> Sent: Mon, Nov 16, 2009 9:05 am
>> Subject: Re: [ale] Awful story...
>>
>> There probably are even more companies involved, but only 2 are
>>
>> pertainent to the story.   Company A had a contract and subbed it out
>>
>> to Company B.  Company B was hiring someone to fullfil the contract.
>>
>> It doesn't matter who the orig contract was with.
>>
>>
>>
>> -Jim P.
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2009-11-16, scott <scott at sboss.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Actually there were three companies.  IBM, Indian-company, and four-
>>
>>> letter credit card company.
>>
>>>
>>
>>> And many companies that hire contractors/subcontractors restrict  
>>> what
>>
>>> hardware/software/operatingsystems they can use.
>>
>>>
>>
>>> A few years back i went to do a half day job for a contracting  
>>> company
>>
>>> for Dell. Now the customer knew I wasn't Dell.  But Dell required me
>>
>>> to use a Dell laptop and leave my mac at home (well rental car).   
>>> Dell
>>
>>> salesweenie handed me a Dell in the lobby of the customer to use.  I
>>
>>> went in, used the Dell for the 3-4 hours then handed it back to the
>>
>>> same person in the same lobby as I was leaving.
>>
>>>
>>
>>> Now was I happywith the Dell?  No not really.  It ran windows and  
>>> IE.
>>
>>> <shudder>. but it isn't worth the hassle of trying to force firefox
>>
>>> (or even worse Linux) on companies.
>>
>>>
>>
>>> Here is a few words of advice (take them or leave them):
>>
>>> * when your employer(direct or indirect) gives you tools, use them.
>>
>>> Including the big evil windows.
>>
>>> * don't make the salesweenies nor pms upset with you at all.
>>
>>> Salesweenies are the ones signing the deals ($$$$) and the pms  
>>> manage
>>
>>> the people and money allocations.  Make either upset and you are  
>>> gone.
>>
>>> * when getting hired/contracted don't use the companies resouces
>>
>>> including tech support without direct approval of you point-of- 
>>> contact
>>
>>> (the pm in the case above).  You could get yourself in big trouble  
>>> if
>>
>>> you do.
>>
>>>
>>
>>> Just my two cents from being in those shoes before...
>>
>>>
>>
>>> Sent from my mobile...
>>
>>>
>>
>>> On Nov 16, 2009, at 8:27, Jim Popovitch <jimpop at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>
>>>> Don't take this as a defensive statement for IBM....
>>
>>>>
>>
>>>> There are 2 different companies involved, according to the  
>>>> story.  The
>>
>>>> 3 letter company, and the Indian company.  It was the latter that  
>>>> was
>>
>>>> doing the hiring, according to what I read.  Now, imagine if big
>>
>>>> companies, that used contractors, had (got?) to dictate what tools
>>
>>>> those contractors or sub-partners had to utilize and support.  Now
>>
>>>> imagine that Microsft is the big company, should they have the  
>>>> right
>>
>>>> to force all their partners and contractors into using MS Office  
>>>> when
>>
>>>> OpenOffice would do the job?
>>
>>>>
>>
>>>> -Jim P.
>>
>>>>
>>
>>>> On 2009-11-16, Jerald Sheets <questy at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>>>
>>>>> http://linuxlock.blogspot.com/2009/11/linux-contractor-fired-for-using.html
>>
>>>>>
>>
>>>>>
>>
>>>>> Sorry to hear this, but I know it's true from the IBM side.
>>
>>>>>
>>
>>>>> You should've seen the blank stares among sales-droids trying to
>>
>>>>> sell us
>>
>>>>> hardware when we would demand both fully GUI and fully command- 
>>>>> line
>>
>>>>> manageable gear.  You'd swear you just told them you needed a  
>>>>> flux-
>>
>>>>> capacitor
>>
>>>>> and an Infinite Improbability drive.
>>
>>>>>
>>
>>>>> If these big companies are going to tout their Linux compatibility
>>
>>>>> and their
>>
>>>>> Linux friendliness, they need to also make sure to understand that
>>
>>>>> people
>>
>>>>> that come a-calling from the Linux world will have a higher
>>
>>>>> likelihood than
>>
>>>>> ever before of not having Windows on the desktop.
>>
>>>>>
>>
>>>>> --j
>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>>>> Ale mailing list
>>
>>>>> Ale at ale.org
>>
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>>
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>>
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>>
>>>>>
>>
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>>
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>
>
>
> -- 
> -- 
> James P. Kinney III
> Actively in pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness
>
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