Re: not enough real programmers? (was Re: Byte Magazine: 18 Vintage issues, 1985-1986)

[Victoria Welch <vikki@oz.net>]

Howard S Shubs wrote:
> 
> In article <7ol7vc$3np$0@216.39.144.179>, Victoria Welch <vikki@oz.net> wrote:
> 
> >The CFO / salesman / chief engineer where I used to work told me that I
> >really should get over that "honesty thing" so I could start earning
> 
> I'd be struck speechless.  I've run into slimey sales critters before, 
> [ ... ]

I was struck speechless.  It took a while for me to figure out that it
wasn't just exhaustion and stress, but he actually did say that to me. 
Very little surprises me anymore, that one did.

> but
> this guy is amazingly blatant to come right out and say it.  "Honesty
> thing."  I see.  Hm.  Hit his Ferrari with my junker, and lie about it.
> Tell him I got over the "honesty thing".  See how well that goes over.
> Man.  That's right out of today's (7 August 1999) Dilbert.

He has enough $$$$ to just replace it, not a big deal.

I think he has gotten away with this kind of thing for so long and made
so much money doing it that he doesn't see anything wrong with what he
does.  He gets "respect from his peers" (sure as hell none from his
subordinates) and significant financial renumeration, so what could be
wrong with what he does?  Carefully ignoring the bodies in his trail.

Well, :-) I did one thing that pissed him of the rest of the time I was
there.  No one else seemed to think an network / phone / video wiring
diagram  for the office was worth doing, so I did one and made his (the
biggest) office smaller than everyone elses on the map (just slightly,
you had to measure it :).  He kept asking me when I was going to correct
it :-).  Since I did it on my own time and equipment, I kept telling him
"real soon now", it *really* bugged him (yeah, I know, I quit doing that
also, but it made my life easier not having to trace wiring across
ceilings and eliminated people coming to me every 10 minutes asking
where or what something went / did / the number was).  What a *nasty*
person I am :).  
 
> "No one else ever complained."  says the sales critter
> 
> "Can I borrow your briefcase?" says Dilbert
> 
> Dilbert goes up to the roof and throws the briefcase off the edge.
> 
> "That wasn't very nice" says the sales critter
> 
> "No one else ever complained" says Dilbert.

hehehe, I love it :).
 
> >get their deposit check before they leave)), I sort of lost interest.
> 
> I suspect "lost interest" isn't quite accurate, but you can't get it into
> words?  Disgust?  Shock?  A desire to explain to him, in blunt physical
> terms, what his attitude does for you?

Disgust would be most appropiate.  Revulsion also works well.  Short of
having the "police" arrive at my door, suffice to say that there is no
doubt in my mind that William Shakespear was totally correct.  Lawyers
== politicians == marketing == sales...  There were a lot of things I
*though about* doing, ahem, for him, but the level I would have to lower
myself to to be able to "communicate" is a bit lower than I care to go
(and would be frowned on by the local constabulary).
 
> <knees him in balls>

:) I suspect he didn't have any, just replaced them with $$$, his
ferrari and his boat and his house on the island and ... and ... (all of
which were related to you with exact dollar figures) and an ego of the
likes I never saw before.

> Man.  That's amAZing.

Well, that isn't exactly how I would look at it.  I have a somewhat
darker outlook in the matter.  Actually since this is just one of many
examples, there comes a time when one justs becomes insensitive to it
(numb).

One other was while I was hanging from a wall about 18' up trying to
make some ancient telephone system work (that he had ripped off from
some place else he worked).  As usual no equipment to do the job (like a
long enough ladder or possibly someone to hold it down, safety
equipment, hell that costs money).  He rushes into the room and shouts
"come with me!"  While trying to get untangled and down without breaking
my neck, he blasts the door open and yells at me "When I tell you to
hop, you damn well better hop NOW".  Problem?  He was trying to get wall
box holes cut in the wall and couldn't manage it (No, I didn't laugh in
his face at that point, I was more than a little *issed).  I walked out
and went home.  The was shortly before I left for good (the next to the
last straw).  The "president" of the company did absolutely *nothing*
about it. I have a lot more understanding of those people that just
loose it and shoot up the office and everyone in it, not that I would
*ever* consider doing something like that, but I can understand how
people could get there.
 
> >I try to avoid thinking badly of anyone, but it gets hard to
> >avoid when your face is constantly crammed into the obvious.  I don't
> >expect anyone to be perfect, but there are some limits :-).
> 
> If Dante was right, this guy's either going to the pit of thieves, the pit
> of frauds (8th), or the central frozen part (betrayers, 9th circle).  This
> guy's the type who gives sales people a bad name, to put it mildly.  He
> gives -civilization- a bad name.

That was my take on it.  I've seen some real slimeball sales and
marketing types in my day, but that one took the cake consistantly. 
Hopefully I will never "improve" on this particular record.
 
> >Thanks for the re-enforcement :-)!  And a chance to vent a little.
> >After being told so often all the problems I've mentioned were my fault
> >it is refreshing to know I am not alone (not pleasant, just refreshing
> >:).
> 
> You are not alone.  No question.

Whew, that is not good news :-/.
--
Victoria Welch, WV9K, DoD#-13, Net/Sys/WebAdmin SeaStar.org,
vikki.oz.net
"Walking on water and developing software to specification are
easy as long as both are frozen" - Edward V. Berard.
Do not unto others, that which you would not have others do unto you.