Job "Security" .. HA!
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As I've mentioned on this site before, I've been programming for 16 years, more than 7 of it professionally ... Well, I learned an important lesson in recent times ...
Like most my first technical job was as an IT grunt ... You know, tech support, building systems, etc (This is back in the days when you actually had to know how to set jumper and dip switch settings and what not, so it didn't take 5 minutes to throw together a PnP system) ... Over the years I worked my way up to my current position as a Senior Software Engineer/Lead Developer. I head up all C++ development for the company I work for ...
Now when I started this job I figured I'd hit gold ... My boss is actually a programmer as well, he spent many years writing software before moving "up" in the world and we all know an IT boss overseeing programmers, that has no programming experience makes for a really shitty boss ... <Plot thickens> ...
As time went on things of course got more stressful. Recently the company aquired a contract to replace the entire security system at probably the most well known, most highly sought after universities in the US (I won't say any names but just think of the 8th letter in the alphabet) ... This of course causes stress in the company which in turn causes my boss to become a major asshole ...
Last week I completed work on a new hardware driver and released the Beta 1 version of it. Everything was going great, the driver only had a few problems but overall it was talking to all the hardware, propagating alarms up to the system, etc. Well, following this I discovered the hardware itself had problems (Yeah yeah yeah, its the hardwares fault, NOT THE SOFTWARE!) ... I told the president of the company about it since my direct boss was out with his wife dealing with a planned labor ... Apparently me saying "These hardware units are having a problem, they continue to report 'I/O Error' error messages on the LCDs, we should contact the manufacturers technical support staff and see if we can get the problem resolved before we ship them." was too much to handle, the Pres. took this as me downtalking the hardware and since he golfs with the president of the company that made the hardware, this got his panties all in a bunch ...
He goes on and calls my direct boss screaming and yelling about me supposedly being rude (You'd think he'd care that the hardware he was about to sell to one of the largest galleries AND one of the most well known universities was having problems and he'd want them resolved) ... So he comes in to work and proceeds to start screaming and yelling at me (And I mean that quite literally) ...
<Enter the big WTF> ... Now, this company has a LOT of very large, very prestigeous (I am sure I spelled that wrong) customers, so you would think that we should be doing everything within our skills to make the best products we can ... Yeah right ... My boss starts explaining (In a very loud voice with lots of curse words, I swear his face was so red he looked like he was going to burst) that the company is 95% perception, 5% productivity. As long as you LOOK busy, and kiss all the asses of all the people that wear suits, you are golden, who cares if the software crashes and the hardware works right? ... In my experience I've always known companies to try and produce products that are actually usable, and you'd think being a security company that would make these issues top priority, but apparently not ... I was told today that I was nearly fired on Friday simply because I stated in a very professional manor that the hardware was having a problem that should be resolved before we ship them ... I literally got yelled at, cursed at, screamed at, etc, over this and now have a last warning write up in my file, all because I wanted to be sure the products worked as expected and even better than expected ...
I sure do miss the days when it actually took a brain to do a lot of this with computers, and the IT industry didn't care JUST about money.
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The problem is that the bosses want to make money between now and next week, not in a year or ten years. Quality is not something that people want to pay for. That's why our clothes are made by Chinese slaves and our code is made by Indian offshorers. Nobody cares about quality or long-term issues; immediate needs and ROI is all that is taken into account.
Hard drives are horrible for bad quality; Gibson (grc.com) said it best. Something like: You can make a higher-quality drive and have it cost, say, $10 more. Nobody will buy it, since it's more expensive than a competitor's drive with the same visible features. This means that the hard drive manufacturers are pressured into producing the lowest-quality drives possible.
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Start looking for a new job... today.
I'm not saying another company won't have the same attitude towards
profit vs. actually doing the job right, but you need to find one where
you won't almost be fired for stating what is nothing more than your
opinion and, arguably, your responsibility as a senior software
engineer.
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i'd have to agree, look elsewhere. toxic environments like that don't change.
if it didn't ruin your chances for unemployment, getting yelled at alone is reason to walk out.
Any witnesses to the abuse? Since this place seems like a lost cause anyway, why not "kick it up a notch" and lodge an abuse complaint with HR? Don't worry you'll look like a wuss, companies are very hush hush about stuff like that, nobody will ever know.
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@ogilmor said:
i'd have to agree, look elsewhere. toxic environments like that don't change.
if it didn't ruin your chances for unemployment, getting yelled at alone is reason to walk out.
Any witnesses to the abuse? Since this place seems like a lost cause anyway, why not "kick it up a notch" and lodge an abuse complaint with HR? Don't worry you'll look like a wuss, companies are very hush hush about stuff like that, nobody will ever know.
Except where I work anything that goes to HR, every boss and suit gets a full copy of it ... Even though its illegal ... Its one of those tough call things, I have two kids and a household to support, so I can't just give up ... I have been looking for alternative employment, just takes time ... Where I live we have RIT so its hard for people like me that did it the "hard way" (No degree) to compete for jobs with complete idiots that have an RIT degree.
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In 25 years, I've worked for someone like that - who actually yelled at me for doing my job - ONCE. I too, had a family, and so couldn't just walk away on principal. However, job-one was to post the resume - anonymously - and I left in a few weeks. I gave them 30 seconds notice, and the notice itself was an e-mail, sent to the entire firm, explaining exactly why I was leaving - in excruciating detail.
Take care of number-one.
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well who cares what they know...you're leaving anyay....if they fire you, at least you get unemployment. You might be surprised what happens if you kick it up a notch. they may fold quikcer than a house of cards. maybe they're not used to it.
i completely understand about supporting your family though...spent a year in hell to do that, and convinced myself it wasn't...for a while
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@themagni said:
The problem is that the bosses want to make money between now and next week, not in a year or ten years. Quality is not something that people want to pay for. That's why our clothes are made by Chinese slaves and our code is made by Indian offshorers. Nobody cares about quality or long-term issues; immediate needs and ROI is all that is taken into account.
Hard drives are horrible for bad quality; Gibson (grc.com) said it best. Something like: You can make a higher-quality drive and have it cost, say, $10 more. Nobody will buy it, since it's more expensive than a competitor's drive with the same visible features. This means that the hard drive manufacturers are pressured into producing the lowest-quality drives possible.
Wow, this is so agonizingly true. And every company is like that these days. The original poster was only lucky in that this company at least stated it quite clearly and in no uncertain terms. Most companies I've worked for they've denied flatly that this was their policy or attitude and yet based on management's behavior it was exactly what was going on. When they refuse to admit that they sacrifice quality and customer relations over this quarter's sales figures, it can take a very long time and a lot of angst on the part of good, ethical workers to realize what's going on.
My current company is like that too. We have one group of developers for a particular suite of products that's really suffering for it. Their software is selling like hotcakes. This group has been totally gutted and replaced (100% turnover) twice and the group is never larger than a skeleton crew. So despite the fact that they're good hard-working people, they get shit thrown at them all the time. One of them recently quit after he got yelled at *again* because his quality was slipping. HELLO MANAGEMENT? DON'T BEAT THEM UP, HIRE MORE OF THEM YOU IDIOTS!!!
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Welcome to the world of inept management, where kissing the right
posteriors is more important than the job, and [number of people
screwed] is percieved as being linearly related to profit. In this
crazy world, any cost is an evil thing, decisions are made based on
bribes and buddies with CEOs, and the reality of the business needs
come second place.
As you are probably aware by now, doing was is needed is the easiest
way to the unemployment line. Doing what you're told (regardless of how
lame), selling your soul, and licking boots is the only way to get by.
That, or connections. Who seriously thinks that GWB
There's a reason why Dilbert cartoons are so popular, and it's not
because of cute cartoon dogs. It's because so many see the reality of
their own situation in it. As the saying goes, it's funny because it's
true.
So, as has been said above.... FLEE! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
