Read and Weep

[bitterfun.livejournal.com]

Now on Slashdot, techsupport's worst enemy: The guy that has just enough IT knowledge to completely f^@k up a computer/network/environment.

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/04/14/150241

What they fail to mention is these people are also the ones setting up rogue DHCP servers, crashing/corrupting databases, and installing so much spy/malware that the proc and NIC aggree to go on strike.

Comments

[egearman.livejournal.com]

Horrors I have lived through:

Email that asked "Is there a way to undo a 'rm *'?"

"You can recreate a dropped table, right?"

"Well, that's just development data, right?"

[tallanvor.livejournal.com]

So, basically, the article suggests finding ways to allow those users to feel like they're making a difference without f*cking up the network...

Seems like a good point. You can either let them be a pain in the ass or find a way to make them assets.

[jecook]

We generally do not tolerate such crap at the place I work at, primarily because if we did happen to find a rogue access point into our network, we'd be in violation of the regulations which allows our company to exist.

There's almost *always* a reason why locked down environments exist: Ours is due to factors beyond our control. (Besides IT having it's power trip)

[superbus.livejournal.com]

I have always tended to have one or two users I trust that can pitch in in a pinch - think of them as tier 0.5 support - but with a twist: I don't want them to be TOO technically savvy. Someone that can tell me basic information going into a problem with someone else, and that I trust, cool. Someone trying to install BeOS on their workstation? No fucking way. The former, I'm cool with, but the latter, if they even THINK of going rogue, I lock them down so tight that chastity belts look at me and tell me to relax. I don't care how tech savvy they are; no one can get around a custom shell without a reformat or a broken password, and to do so is cause for termination.

I'm a great sysadmin for people that have questions and want to learn, a stern one for those that don't care to learn or don't know anything, and a real piece of shit for anyone that tries to burn me.

[curvemudgeon.livejournal.com]

Drilling down into the thread can be found another of techsupport's worst enemies - the entitlement twat. From http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=521864&cid=23067008 :

Your job as an IT guys is to support users. That's about it. If you have other duties than that, take it with your manager to better define your position or allocate resources. You are an expense to the company. You do not usually produce anything. Your value is only in one thing and that is how well can you enable other employees to do their job.

I had a user like this once. Once.

[caerleon.livejournal.com]

I had a user like this once. Once.

With or without ketchup?..

[jimbojones.livejournal.com]

I have long said that if you are a good admin, all of your users - all of your users - must either love you or fear you.

Both is acceptable.

Somewhere in the middle is, most emphatically, not.

[berkeleyfarm.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHAHA

Yeah, like I'm going to run to my boss to rearrange my work duties so that I can hold _his_ hand over and over instead of, say, improving our data center.

I note that someone has given Entitlement Boy the painfully correct smackdown - "supporting the users is _not_ all about you".

A tip of the LART to his IT support, who is apparently clueful enough to 1) rap his knuckles and 2) be good enough at what they do that he has no idea how much they're doing behind the scenes.

[canray.livejournal.com]

I love the first comment: Remind me why we even have an IT dept. again?

Because of people like you. That's why.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

After reading the comments, and having worked for several years as a BOFH in a fucking ISP...you know what I say? Let them at it. Seriously. Have at it. Go nuts. Knock yourselves out.

BTW, it's $150 an hour when those incompetent shitmonkeys come scrambling back frantically demanding we fix what they fuck up.

There's a reason they do not have full control over their PCs, and it's not just because they're at work to work, and not go nuts on limewire all day. I think it's time they learned it.

[jimbojones.livejournal.com]

The guy that has just enough IT knowledge to completely f^@k up a computer/network/environment.

If that guy is creating ongoing problems for you, you are failing your #1 job as an admin: making certain that every last one of your users either loves you, or fears you. If you can't manage that, I don't care HOW much technical skill you have, you are not a top notch admin.

[bitterfun.livejournal.com]

It was just a statement. I am better than a top notch admin. I'm an IT manager that used to be a top notch admin. I just read this to see if any of my employees post in this forum. ;)

[emsporter.livejournal.com]

There's a 'superuser' here who thinks he's wonderful. He is the number one reason I don't believe in freeing up the network for users. He can't find his arse with a flashlight, both hands, a team of proctologists, "Backsides for Dummies", and a map, despite his head being firmly stuck up it.