🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <57090@nigel.ee.udel.edu> johnston@minnie.me.udel.edu (Bill Johnston) writes:
>I can't speak for Mario, but that Johnston guy is clearly an idiot.

I'll buy that.	;-]


>THIS IS A WITCH-HUNT!  Think about this for a minute.  A private
>organization calls your company.  Fred answers the phone.  Remember Fred?
>
>>The company should get rid of Fred but that's another subject.
>
>Sorry, but Fred is the president's nephew.  How else would a 
>knee-biter like Fred get a job with your company.  This is Fred's job, 
>so Fred answers the phone.

[ another wild Fred story deleted ]


Whew!  Where the heck does Bill Johnston get this stuff?  If corporate
North America is really run this way, it is no wonder the Japanese are kicking
our buts.

Seriously, though, it is possible to take just about any management or
accounting tool and create a nightmare scenario.  It is also possible to
take almost any job description (such as poor Fred's) and create a 
monster (ie:  the janitor from hell who restricts you to one square of
toilet paper per "bowel movement").

No doubt there are situations such as that described by Bill, but the
number of companies who hire Freds is a distinct minority, and they soon
go out of business because of poor management.

Like any tool, SPAudit can be used internally for good or ill.  Bill seems
to confuse the tool with the user (this sounds like a NRA argument for guns,
doesn't it?). `ps' on unix systems can be used to find out what
employees are playing "hack", for instance.


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On the other hand, Fred may be getting kind of a bad rap here.  After all,
his job is often fundamentally at odds with the people who want to play
around with their computer.  Among other things, Fred is supposed to:

	- Ensure compatibility between programs (ie: file exchange).
	- Support users with help and problem solving.
	- Protect the network from viruses and unstable programs.
	- Protect the company from litigation due to illegal software usage.

Often, these conflict with the users' preferences.  But a company has every
right to decide the way it wants its equipment to be used.  

Imagine if every postal worker was allowed to customize his delivery 
vehicle with whatever modifications he/she wished.  It may indeed improve
that person's performance, but what a nightmare if the vehicle starts
running poorly, or breaks down.  Maybe that experimental (beta) feul
injection is conflicting with the standard turbo (I wish!  Maybe I'd
get my mail faster).  

What happens if a different employee has to use that vehicle for a while.
That joystick steering mechanism may be a bit of a problem.  

And what happens when the truck can't pull up to the loading bay and
receive mail bags from the automated loader because the suspension 
has been lowered too much?

What about when the customized part explodes and burns all the
important mail?

Compound the above with the fact that many of these customizing parts
are stolen.  What a nightmare.  If I were the Postal Mechanic, I sure
as heck would be tearing out those puppies.
Of course, if a customization were useful, reliable, and compatible, 
I might just standardize on it, or make it available to everyone.

(Mind you, I'd still fire Fred and find someone who's not such a wad.)

========================================================================

However, I am pretty much on Bill's side on the issue of the SPA knocking
on your door.  This sounds a bit like a vigilante group to me, and it
should probably be regulated.  Sounds like a job the legal system
should be pursuing.

Mind you, if anybody knocked on my door and said that I better 
let them search my place or they would advertise that my ex-girlfriend 
said I had pirated video tapes, I would sue their
asses off for extortion.  If they did publish the info, I would sue
their asses off for defemation.  Then let them try and prove they had
anything better than heresay evidence that their allegations were
true (even if they are). 

If neither of the above hold up, I'm sure my lawyer can come up with
a few other cases to protect my civil liberties.  Note that for the
*police* to get a search warrant, a judge has to rule that they have
just cause.  I would be surprised indeed if a court would look favorably
upon a private corporation making such a similar decision on its own.

Note that I would refuse the SPA permission to search my premises ON
PRINCIPLE.  Otherwise, I could have the MPA ("Music Protection
Agency") in to search for audio tapes, the VPA ("Video...")
for video cassettes, BPA ("Book...") for photocopies, etc.  All based
on letters from the same "disgruntled girlfriend".  The potential for
harrassment is enormous.  
(Women - can't live with them; can't shoot them  :-)  ;-)  ;-]  ).



Eric


Standard disclaimers apply.


-- 
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Eric Mitchell                      |   "We're Screwed!!!"
Ph. 604-278-3411 Fax. 604-278-2936 |
email  !uunet!van-bc!mdavcr!ewm    |	- Spaced Invaders.
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    or ewm@mda.ca		   |
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