(The following is a re-run from a previous blog. I’m on vacation this week and will be back sometime next week. See y’all later…)
As Dave can very well attest, we IT people are a special breed. As do presidents, kings, dictators and mothers, we weld a tremendous amount of power. The popular notion is that “IT” stands for “Information Technology”. But for anyone who had ever dealt with an IT person knows that IT really stands for “InTimidation“. But alas, some people learn this the hard way.
Take, for instance, a user who calls me the other day without the proper decorum and respect for my postion. Instead he calls, believing he can actually command me to do his bidding:
“This is Ellis. I need more disk space on the server,” he practically demands. I remind him that everyone has a set quota and perhaps he should delete some files that he isn’t using. “Don’t be stupid. Everything I have on the server is important. I need more space and I need it now.”
Stupid? Uh oh…
I respond with my most submissive voice while remotely and stealthly logging into his computer. “I’m sorry. I believe maybe I can accomodate you. How much additional disk space do you need exactly?” Meanwhile I’m deleting his installation of Doom. And he thought I wouldn’t see that. Heh, heh…
“I need 80MB additional disk space.” That is the amount of his entire quota. Oh, what the heck.
cd\ellis
delete *.*
“There done. 8MB free space at your service.”
“Cool. 160MB capacity. I could really use that.”
Sucker. He can’t hear the time bomb ticking.
“Well, actually, you still have the original 80MB. It’s just there is nothing there.”
“WHAT!?!?!”
“Sorry, I don’t know to tell you. Oh, I’m supposed to warn all the users not to install any games on the server, especially Doom. It has some virus or something that wipes out their disk quota. But I know I don’t really have to tell you this. You would never put illegal software on a server.”
I hear the panicky tapping of keys over the phone. The meltdown is about to happen.
“Uh… of course I…..(audible gasp!)… wouldn’t do… (choking sound)…”
“Anyway, I gotta go. Ta-ta.” I hang up to the sound of sobbing on the other end of the phone.
Hey, hey… I really kill me sometimes, I really do.
Don’t think I have that kind of power? Watch your screen real close. Did it just blink? No? Are you suuuure?
Oh, I have people like that too, that think they can “command” me to do something.
I got a call on a Monday, saying I had to come RIGHT NOW to set up their computer, as their office was painted last week and someone moved the PC and laser printer out.
I promptly asked why not get the person that moved it out, to move it back in? (they didn’t like that)
Then I asked if they put in a helpdesk ticket? No. Sorry, I was swamped with tickets.. and they’d have to call one in and get in line like everyone else.
heh heh heh…. power is good… *S*
you didn’t realllllyyyy do that, did you???
Me or Curt?
Me, yes, I did tell the person that.. but I did get there late in the morning to hook up their PC.
They had another one they could use.. so it wasn’t a big deal really (only to them).
Hey Janel!!! Good to see you!!!
Yep, I have done stuff like that. But, alas, not with such theatrical flair. Users know when I delete stuff from their quota and it’s only illegal stuff that I delete. It still doesn’t make them happy though, but… hey… Que Sera, Sera.