The Official "Say Anything" Thread

[Randimus Maximus]

i am far too alert and ambulatory for the amount i have had to drink tonight

time for bed, son.

[KnightofNi]

time for bed, son.

nope, i'm runnong away tonight. going to bed leaves me alone with my thoughts

[Monsterlover]

Think good thoughts then.

[LMT]

i am far too alert and ambulatory for the amount i have had to drink tonight

I thought you were out of beer, rum, and whiskey?

[TiNi]

is it friday yet 

[Ddan]

It's Pre-Friday.  I think cheerleader practice happens on Pre-Friday

[TiNi]

It's Pre-Friday.  I think cheerleader practice happens on Pre-Friday

i can't find my pom poms...

maybe jonas has them 

[Ddan]

i can't find my pom poms...

maybe jonas has them 

He just might, he does wear a skirt

[TiNi]

friday just seems...... so far away on a tuesday 

[Ddan]

friday just seems...... so far away on a tuesday 

It's a day closer than yesterday...

[TiNi]

It's a day closer than yesterday...

i'll keep that thought in mind
it may help get me through the day

[ducpainter]

morning

[KnightofNi]

I thought you were out of beer, rum, and whiskey?

the running is why i am out.

we'll call it a crutch. demons are being faced today and licks will be taken like a big boy.

no, this has nothing to do with work.

[ZLTFUL]

First time in TOSAT in a long while.

Just here to vent a bit.

I am a contractor at a large farm financial services and insurance company. I am part of the "desktop services" team that handles software distribution, break/fix, etc. My role doesn't really fit in with the rest of the team. I administer the A/V, FW and encryption products so I fall more into a security admin role that should be under the corporate info security group.
The team I am on is piss poor managed...and now micromanaged since the manager (also a contractor with the same firm along with us and the helpdesk under a different manager) hired an assistant rather than filling a vacancy in the software distribution team.

So now we have a short-handed software distribution team, an inept break/fix team (the team lead there is a physics major with nothing more than hobby computer knowledge) and me and the asset management guy who don't even belong with the rest of the group.
All of that being micromanaged by an "assistant manager" who's only leadership experience is coaching his daughter's soccer team (he was a tier 2 helpdesk tech before this in a Mac shop...we are 100% Windows/Linux).

On top of that, the helpdesk is located in PA (we are in central Iowa) and the 15 techs service 9 other companies besides this one. We have 4 of the second level techs here and they are decent. The rest of the helpdesk is much like kid in HS that couldn't pass any classes without cheating, lied constantly and when confronted, screamed that they are being discriminated against. And they are led by Yogi Bear...oh sure, he's in charge...but he is inept.

The company did this outsourcing 3 years ago. Apparently, at that time, there was no accountability for the helpdesk and desktop services staff. They thought outsorcing would remedy this...it never has.

So skip ahead to this past Friday. I spend a lot of time creating documentation and training materials for the products I administer. My documentation is what I like to consider "easily comprehended". I create it using a mentality of someone who has never seen the product before. I make it very step by step black and white and easy to follow. I also have very specific ticketing requirements because if a ticket reaches me, its next step is the vendor and they will ask that information of me. Much easier to get that info when you are already on the user's computer...at least IMHO.
One of the techs in PA tends to be a real life version of http://chroniclesofgeorge.nanc.com/tickets1.htm. He is completely useless. His tickets are vague and he lies about even the vague things he says he has tried in troubleshooting. Recordings of his calls have shown this to be true. He claims the documentation is too obscure and he always throws the blame on someone else.
On this particular day, I had received 2 tickets from him already. He is a lvl 1 tech. All of his tickets are supposed to be escalated through our tier 2 support group. His never are. I always point this out and then assign the ticket back to him. So when the third ticket got sent up to me, this time with nothing more than "user cant complet challange respond cant find comp name need cert fixed" (exact quote from the ticket btw) in it. No troubleshooting steps, etc. So using the exact same set of tools he has available, I found the computer name, completed a challenge/response with the user and updated their certificate all in about 25 seconds worth of work. I noted this in the ticket and then I assigned it to his manager. Exactly what I was told to do with ticket fails.
2 hours later, our new micro-manager (ironic that he is about 5'3" too...) sends me a meeting request. In the request it states he wants to discuss my "work from home" capabilities (I work from home when I am sick or just need to focus on something...it has happened 3 times since I started in April) as well as a possible backup in case I am completely unavailable. Both things I have requested for months. So of course, I accept.

Into the meeting and the first thing he brings up is that I am not supposed to point out the flaws with the helpdesk techs. That we are "on the same team" and how I should back them up and not try to make them look bad. And that in the future I am not supposed to "degrade" them in tickets. He is trying to continue on but I interrupt him and describe the situation to him. He pulls out the ticket and instead of defending HIS position, it clearly defends mine in that I used it to coach the tech. Not to degrade him in any way. I didn't even call him stupid or moron or worthless piece of shit once.
He throws out the excuse, "Well those techs only make $9-$10 an hour." Without missing a beat, the first thing I said was, "Well so do McDonalds and Walmart employees but they still get fired if they keep burning the hamburgers or giving $27 as change for a $5 bill." I also pointed out that I had long ago been a tech as well making less than that and it never effected my desire to simply do a good job.
After another "Just don't do it again." lecture, he calls the meeting and off he goes. No discussion about the shit that actually needs to be resolved.

I have a relationship with one of the IT department directors outside of work and invited him out for a drink and explained what happened. Nothing will come of it but at least the bug has been planted.

[ducpainter]

I see a pattern developing here.

As long as you work for someone else...

it will never get done right.

Too many stupid people in the mix...

and most of those are management.