UPKG and dumb ideas...

[Crivens]

People need general purpose computer to do general things and asking for permission takes too long or the answer is no, but you still need the "thing to do the thing", so...

That is the problem with computers at work. They are not "general purpose", they are a tool to do a fixed set of things. No more.
WHAT they are capable to do is therefore not "everything", but only what the owner of the machine allows it to do.

 

[msplsh]

Sure, that's the theory. Then boss gets mad you didn't circumvent IT to get your job done.

 

[SirDice]

Sure, that's the theory. Then boss gets mad you didn't circumvent IT to get your job done.

At current $DAYJOB that boss would get fired. Including everybody else that tried to circumvent security. They're kind of strict about these things. They got seriously burned by a pen-test a few years ago, and they're now extremely paranoid. They will find you and you will be escorted out of the building pronto.

 

[Hobbes]

In consulting/engineering firms is usually different (at least in France and Spain). They give you a piece of crap, with a copy of MS Office, a CAD viewer and no more. Maybe a simple version of the CAD software and some calculation programs... but only in they put you in charge of the design of the brand new European Space Shuttle/Fusion Reactor or similar. And of course, if they can, they will use the student licenses of any young worker.

So, at the end IT rules does not matter, you need to be creative and use all kind of tricks to do the job. Your boss will not accept any excuse related with the tools that you need.

Now my approach is quite different; give me the tools that I need to do the job or fire me if you want. I am tired of covering the shortcomings of companies/bosses.

 

[Crivens]

At current $DAYJOB that boss would get fired. Including everybody else that tried to circumvent security. They're kind of strict about these things. They got seriously burned by a pen-test a few years ago, and they're now extremely paranoid. They will find you and you will be escorted out of the building pronto.

Reminds me of one occasion where a student connected his private laptop to the network and did a "nmap x.y.z.1", leading to the admin almost tearing the door off fhe hinges 30 seconds later. I once was in a place where they used to fire people on the spot for violating security, one new guy was fired on his first day 30 minutes into his new job. But now the beancounters are running that place, and they outsorced all IT to the cheapest outfit. They used to have armed guards and chainlink fences with razor wire. Now, the barcode from a milk carton is accepted as a valid badge (someone tried). Ain't defense work fun? So, things change in all directions.

 

[SirDice]

Now my approach is quite different; give me the tools that I need to do the job or fire me if you want. I am tired of covering the shortcomings of companies/bosses.

Exactly this. As a contractor I come in to do a job. I must perform that job with the tools they give me. So they either give me the proper tools or the job doesn't get done. Simple as that.

 

[Crivens]

Exactly this. As a contractor I come in to do a job. I must perform that job with the tools they give me. So they either give me the proper tools or the job doesn't get done. Simple as that.

... or gets done much slower. Great when you bill by the hour

 

[Maxnix]

At current $DAYJOB that boss would get fired. Including everybody else that tried to circumvent security. They're kind of strict about these things. They got seriously burned by a pen-test a few years ago, and they're now extremely paranoid. They will find you and you will be escorted out of the building pronto.