> Absolutely true, though I have worked in corporate environments. > Companies that use such a limited set of apps and impose serious > restrictions also kill off creativity, too. Probably why corp America > is > such a mess these days. >
Oh, make no mistake--I have no desire to clamp things down that far. I want users to have measures of control. I want them to customize their machines and use tools and utilities that help them perform their work. This just has to be balanced with the needs of the corporation. This should be considered not only in terms of ensuring productivity...but also legal liability and security. Another member has touched on security--any device touching the network has the potential to compromise security. I think that one is pretty self-explanatory. Legal liability is a big one. Illegally acquired music or software on a user's machine puts the entire firm at legal risk. We're charged, among other things, to ensure that the firm isn't out of license compliance and does not harbor copyrighted material. This does mean that we have to impose some measure of control. It's a delicate balance and a definite challenge. Does my position sometimes put me at odds with users? Yes, at times. But, frankly, IT is charged to be an enabler of corporate objectives while simultaneously protecting said corporation. Sometimes that is contrary to what the user would prefer. Interestingly, I've found that users are most frustrated when their machines are unstable (for whatever reason), vs. being restricted from installing some software, or downloading some music. Greg
