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June 14, 2005
I See Assholes... and Monkeys... but Mostly Assholes
What kind of message does a company send when it blacklists all IM software; appending this new article of conformity to its Computer Ethics Policy? Are they implying that chat software is inherently unethical or just the use of chat software?
Guess this was the only way IT could deal with the virus issues they were having -- what with idiots accepting unsolicited files through chat and all. Rather than take steps to stem idiotic behaviour, they just ban all chat software. [Translation: the idiot(s) involved must be too high up the food chain to warrant behavioural modification. (Ever notice how idiots always seem to fail upwards? -- they and assholes, but I'm getting ahead of myself.)]
Any organizational structure can be likened to a tree full of monkeys, and this secret volcanic lair is no exception. When the leaders (at the top of the tree) look down at the masses, they see nothing but smiling faces looking up at them. The rest of the monkeys (at the lower end of the tree) however, look up and see nothing but assholes.
So here I stand (or sit rather -- or is it cling?) in blatant disregard (Ooo! Aren't I naughty!) of company policy. I shall not remove these apps form my work computer. They are my sanity links. They connect me to my friends, family, and peers. I use them to gossip, share knowledge, and ask questions. They are as much tools of my trade as the authoring environments in which I code. [Warning: Total geek alert!]
So, Management, you can have my IM when you pry my mouse from my cold, dead fingers! <^>
Posted by Tacitus at June 14, 2005 03:29 PM