The problem described in this article is not an IT problem, it's a management problem. The corporate culture established in the companies described allow this kind of dis-functional atmosphere. If a company is well run, people will not be restricted from doing their jobs creatively or any other profitable way. But when management doesn't understand, doesn't care, etc.. then IT is tasked with this kind of stuff. If they do it on their own or are not open to the possibilities of properly implemented IT policy, they should be replaced.
IT should understand the job functions throughout the company better than just about anyone else in the company, they work in every area. If they don't they aren't doing their jobs.
This is what you get when a person who doesn't understand IT policy, corporate culture, management policies, etc.. writes an article about something he doesn't have a clue about. This is where IT should be responsive to his issues, work with him to define his needs and provide for them in a secure productive manner, if he worked someplace that has sound management and properly implement IT policies. Not surprised it's SLATE...
Obviously Chris you are not an IT support person. I've been doing real support since 1987 ... in todays world with every manf putting the cheapest handiest part in every machine keeping proper images of all machines and possible configs is a daunting proposition. Not to mention keeping those images up-to-date is almost impossible. I work for an integrator (after 15 years in corporate support) and my advice (often ignored) is to store all real data on the network, keep machines generic, keep your protection programs up-to-date with a centrally managed tool, lock down your firewall/content scan, and scan your email with an outside service (incoming & outgoing).
But when a company has 100 users and only 1 part-time IT person(who is not a professional IT person, the norm for a lot of companies today) it's almost impossible to find the resources so locking everything down is the only possible solution. Lost productivity for an individual user is nothing compared to the lost productivity when documents are lost, machines crippled, etc.
Sad, but just the plain fact. Since windows dominates, learn group policies, learn security and lock them down will make your overall users more productive.
But you must be open to every new advance and listen to your users needs (not just requests)... if the ask to do something they cannot do, then make a business case for it and implement it if there is a reason too. Our job here is to listen to the users and give them what they need, not what they think they want. We have to make sure we understand what they want to accomplish and work with them to provide that capability. That doesn't mean deny them every thing, just make sure it will provide a benefit, embrace the technology to make the company more efficient, responsive, etc.
IT staffs get into a rut of not learning and not growing like everyone else and it's even more deadly, but still you don't do things just because they are cool, they have to have a solid business reason behind them.
Just remember change is inevitable, but growth has always been optional.
If people would actually learn to think, this would not be such a problem.. the majority have the access and opportunity, but not the discipline to make good choices.
The young are especially vulnerable because they don't have the experience and are naturally inclined to rebel from the recommendations of the elder generation. Society due the the massive over-hype of every action/reaction now punishes more and more severely what used to be called the indescrestions of youth. The opportunity for a life altering mistake at a younger and younger age is increasing. Sexting and it's uproar is a good example, 100 years ago, it was 2 kids in a barn or a buggy, then it was 2 kids in the backseat of a car, then it got to be a half dozen in hostel .. no pictures (can't get them developed, everyone doesn't carry a camera, no easy way to distribute them), now one text with a pic from a readily available cell phone camera (even if it's not theirs and they didn't now about it), a bit of bad judgement at a party and it's worldwide on the internet w/no way to take it back. Then some idiot grandstanding prosecutor makes them a lifelong sex offender at 17 with a charge of child pornography. Plus it's on the news worldwide and Nancy Grace (she needs to get a life) covers it every night for 6 months on cable TV.
That's where the problem lies and that is where the 6 sigma range of the bell curve of reactions is killing us. It's not the middle 4 sigma, it's the outside 5% at each pole that is getting more and more outrageous. More dangerous acts, more knee-jerk grandstanding punishments like no-tolerance polices that get a kid suspended because they brought a butter knife to cut a school birthday cake, or a kid charged with a sex crime for some activity between a 15yo & a 17yo that has been going on since the dawn of time. It will only get worse and each side whips up more passion and daring. Not one piece of common sense applied because it's the next news cycle or election that is what everyone is concerned about.
Well I've taken this subject about as far as it can go... have a nice day/night/evening/morning or whatever ya'all.
I said in the original post that I don't necessarily see a causal link from the said evils to the problems of society today. I agree we lead overall better lives than 100 years ago and the establishment per say will always decry change.
In fact I think much of what we see existed always but we just hear about it more thanks to our expanded communication abilities and the fact that 20% of the population is a lot more people now that it was 100 years ago, so there is, quantitatively, more bad stuff going on. Politician's haven't changed at all, if you don't believe it read some 1880-1920's newspapers!
I also think we have dumbed down what we expect kids to accomplish and upped the opportunity for risk. If you don't think so, read some text books from 1900 and read the ones they use today. I think this is a result of our society basically going from entropy to chaos .. ie wider swings in our norms due to a relaxation of control over our behavior. I don't know if the is good or bad, but looking at history, the more "civilized" we become the weaker overall we become, to be replaced by a younger more vigorous rival.
I don't have an answer except that I think each generation tries to out-rebel the previous ones, they expand the limits of what's acceptable and it spirals to more and more (as us in the older generation see it) depravity, because we relax the controls - or it's too much work to enforce them.
The truth is the majority of kids are just fine, but kids today just have the opportunity to take many more risks than they did 100 years ago.
Or as my old scout master taught us, to learn - study, to obtain wisdom - observe. Which is something no one would say to a kid today because they would assume they couldn't understand it. Changed a lot in 30 years it has.
While I believe the hyperbole of politics and news is what's leading to the downfall of society, but can any here *honestly* not consider that since the coming of rock & roll: "to stimulate self-expression through sex; to provoke lawlessness; impair nervous stability and destroy the sanctity of marriage." hasn't actually happened. There is "NO" causal proof or link but it has happened.
Or that that children's attitudes and actions have in-fact moved to more "depraved" as would be viewed by 1909 adults .. since the invention of movies and don't they set some bad examples. Once again there is no causal link, but it is happening for some reason. I sure some of you knee jerk commenter's will slam this, but I am not saying it's true as to the cause, but you have to admit some of it happening today w/o doubt. How "DO WE" explain the seeming spiral of society to a darker tone, with the way young (meaning under 18) people are acting.
Things I would never even have considered 30 years ago when I was 18 .. now are common place for 21 & 16 year old sons. Take the T-Shirts our kids wear to school, with comments and words my Dad would have tanned my rear for if I said them let alone wore them on a shirt.
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This is not an IT problem (as MikeC)
The problem described in this article is not an IT problem, it's a management problem. The corporate culture established in the companies described allow this kind of dis-functional atmosphere. If a company is well run, people will not be restricted from doing their jobs creatively or any other profitable way. But when management doesn't understand, doesn't care, etc.. then IT is tasked with this kind of stuff. If they do it on their own or are not open to the possibilities of properly implemented IT policy, they should be replaced.
IT should understand the job functions throughout the company better than just about anyone else in the company, they work in every area. If they don't they aren't doing their jobs.
This is what you get when a person who doesn't understand IT policy, corporate culture, management policies, etc.. writes an article about something he doesn't have a clue about. This is where IT should be responsive to his issues, work with him to define his needs and provide for them in a secure productive manner, if he worked someplace that has sound management and properly implement IT policies. Not surprised it's SLATE...
Re: Re: (as MikeC)
Obviously Chris you are not an IT support person. I've been doing real support since 1987 ... in todays world with every manf putting the cheapest handiest part in every machine keeping proper images of all machines and possible configs is a daunting proposition. Not to mention keeping those images up-to-date is almost impossible. I work for an integrator (after 15 years in corporate support) and my advice (often ignored) is to store all real data on the network, keep machines generic, keep your protection programs up-to-date with a centrally managed tool, lock down your firewall/content scan, and scan your email with an outside service (incoming & outgoing).
But when a company has 100 users and only 1 part-time IT person(who is not a professional IT person, the norm for a lot of companies today) it's almost impossible to find the resources so locking everything down is the only possible solution. Lost productivity for an individual user is nothing compared to the lost productivity when documents are lost, machines crippled, etc.
Sad, but just the plain fact. Since windows dominates, learn group policies, learn security and lock them down will make your overall users more productive.
But you must be open to every new advance and listen to your users needs (not just requests)... if the ask to do something they cannot do, then make a business case for it and implement it if there is a reason too. Our job here is to listen to the users and give them what they need, not what they think they want. We have to make sure we understand what they want to accomplish and work with them to provide that capability. That doesn't mean deny them every thing, just make sure it will provide a benefit, embrace the technology to make the company more efficient, responsive, etc.
IT staffs get into a rut of not learning and not growing like everyone else and it's even more deadly, but still you don't do things just because they are cool, they have to have a solid business reason behind them.
Just remember change is inevitable, but growth has always been optional.
Re: *sighs* (as MikeC)
If people would actually learn to think, this would not be such a problem.. the majority have the access and opportunity, but not the discipline to make good choices.
The young are especially vulnerable because they don't have the experience and are naturally inclined to rebel from the recommendations of the elder generation. Society due the the massive over-hype of every action/reaction now punishes more and more severely what used to be called the indescrestions of youth. The opportunity for a life altering mistake at a younger and younger age is increasing. Sexting and it's uproar is a good example, 100 years ago, it was 2 kids in a barn or a buggy, then it was 2 kids in the backseat of a car, then it got to be a half dozen in hostel .. no pictures (can't get them developed, everyone doesn't carry a camera, no easy way to distribute them), now one text with a pic from a readily available cell phone camera (even if it's not theirs and they didn't now about it), a bit of bad judgement at a party and it's worldwide on the internet w/no way to take it back. Then some idiot grandstanding prosecutor makes them a lifelong sex offender at 17 with a charge of child pornography. Plus it's on the news worldwide and Nancy Grace (she needs to get a life) covers it every night for 6 months on cable TV.
That's where the problem lies and that is where the 6 sigma range of the bell curve of reactions is killing us. It's not the middle 4 sigma, it's the outside 5% at each pole that is getting more and more outrageous. More dangerous acts, more knee-jerk grandstanding punishments like no-tolerance polices that get a kid suspended because they brought a butter knife to cut a school birthday cake, or a kid charged with a sex crime for some activity between a 15yo & a 17yo that has been going on since the dawn of time. It will only get worse and each side whips up more passion and daring. Not one piece of common sense applied because it's the next news cycle or election that is what everyone is concerned about.
Well I've taken this subject about as far as it can go... have a nice day/night/evening/morning or whatever ya'all.
Just an interesting thought - Review of Replys (as MikeC)
I said in the original post that I don't necessarily see a causal link from the said evils to the problems of society today. I agree we lead overall better lives than 100 years ago and the establishment per say will always decry change.
In fact I think much of what we see existed always but we just hear about it more thanks to our expanded communication abilities and the fact that 20% of the population is a lot more people now that it was 100 years ago, so there is, quantitatively, more bad stuff going on. Politician's haven't changed at all, if you don't believe it read some 1880-1920's newspapers!
I also think we have dumbed down what we expect kids to accomplish and upped the opportunity for risk. If you don't think so, read some text books from 1900 and read the ones they use today. I think this is a result of our society basically going from entropy to chaos .. ie wider swings in our norms due to a relaxation of control over our behavior. I don't know if the is good or bad, but looking at history, the more "civilized" we become the weaker overall we become, to be replaced by a younger more vigorous rival.
I don't have an answer except that I think each generation tries to out-rebel the previous ones, they expand the limits of what's acceptable and it spirals to more and more (as us in the older generation see it) depravity, because we relax the controls - or it's too much work to enforce them.
The truth is the majority of kids are just fine, but kids today just have the opportunity to take many more risks than they did 100 years ago.
Or as my old scout master taught us, to learn - study, to obtain wisdom - observe. Which is something no one would say to a kid today because they would assume they couldn't understand it. Changed a lot in 30 years it has.
Just an interesting thought (as MikeC)
While I believe the hyperbole of politics and news is what's leading to the downfall of society, but can any here *honestly* not consider that since the coming of rock & roll: "to stimulate self-expression through sex; to provoke lawlessness; impair nervous stability and destroy the sanctity of marriage." hasn't actually happened. There is "NO" causal proof or link but it has happened.
Or that that children's attitudes and actions have in-fact moved to more "depraved" as would be viewed by 1909 adults .. since the invention of movies and don't they set some bad examples. Once again there is no causal link, but it is happening for some reason. I sure some of you knee jerk commenter's will slam this, but I am not saying it's true as to the cause, but you have to admit some of it happening today w/o doubt. How "DO WE" explain the seeming spiral of society to a darker tone, with the way young (meaning under 18) people are acting.
Things I would never even have considered 30 years ago when I was 18 .. now are common place for 21 & 16 year old sons. Take the T-Shirts our kids wear to school, with comments and words my Dad would have tanned my rear for if I said them let alone wore them on a shirt.
Just curious how you all explain this???