On Sunday 15 November 2009 14:47:14 Stroller wrote: > > I find the root password in a sealed envelope in the safe is the ideal > > insurance for that. > > Totally agree. > > My biggest customer, unfortunately, has taken on a large investment of > capital recently, resulting in a new director who's really pretty > clueless. Basically, his dad bought him a job. He has insisted on > Domain Administrator rights because he "just wants to do the simple > stuff" himself; the first program he wanted to upgrade he needed my > help with because the installer is a piece of junk. I know that he's > going to mess things up and cost himself more money (create more > hassles for me) in the long term, but he won't hear it and I can't > just walk away; this is not only because I have a great relationship > with the other owner and also because they're currently a significant > proportion of my annual income. >
And you think being a "Company Director" carries any weight at all? Tut, tut, young fellow. You have a lot to learn :-) Tell him you will give him administrator rights if, and only if, he can successfully solve a problem you set up. Make it something fair ( you are not unreasonable after all). If he fails at this, then you reduce his rights so that he can do the mundane stuff which apparently is what he wants to be doing. The most useful skill I ever learned in all of technology was how to tell someone straight up and down that they don't know much, without actually offending them. -- alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com
