I don't think less of my users. I think less of people who ask me for my professional opinion and then proceed to ignore that opinion without providing any reason or a very trifling reason.
There are always going to be users who can't/wont do a certain task. A boss that won't clear a paper jam on their printer. In their mind, they've determined that it isnt' worth their time. I can accept that calculation, I might disagree with it, but it's not necessarily a battle worth fighting. They have a reasonable basis for their belief, and any different is going to be splitting hairs, and therefore not worth it. On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 10:48 PM, Shauna Hensala <[email protected]> wrote: > I tend to think less of my users for not recognizing what I deem to be > blatantly obvious. I thought it was a good point that we should be more > tolerant and respectful of our 'clients' as they provide our job security. > In the extreme - the more issues they have (and directions they ignore) the > more necessary it is to have people that can 'make it work.' I do like > being the 'hero' even if all I do is plug in the power. I LIKE the problems > I can fix. It is a reward for the problems I spend extensive time trying to > solve. > > Just my perspective. > Shauna > > ------------------------------ > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Intel developing security 'game-changer' > Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:23:54 +0000 > > If it is House he will probably call you an idiot at both visits so you > can’t win in that particular case :-] > > > > *From:* Jonathan Link [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Thursday, January 27, 2011 7:20 PM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* Re: Intel developing security 'game-changer' > > > > Beyond the pale of idiocy. > > Outside the ordinary decent bounds, it's a pretty easily understood phrase, > such as the scenarios you present, they are beyond the pale. > > > > Say you go to the doctor, complaining of some symptom and he tells you to > stop a behavior and that symptom will go away. Next year, same complaint, > but you haven't given up the behavior, how do you think he's going to handle > you? > > > > > > On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 10:14 PM, Ken Schaefer <[email protected]> > wrote: > > That didn’t sound like your point at all. > > > You said : Ignoring advice of using a compromised computer to buy a widget > with a debit card is beyond the pale. > > > > > > *From:* Jonathan Link [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Friday, 28 January 2011 11:12 AM > > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* Re: Intel developing security 'game-changer' > > > > My statement didn't exempt anyone from exhibiting idiocy. My point is if > you're going to ask for advice, and the proceed to ignore that advice and > still want my assistance, expect to pay a higher/additional price. > > > > To answer your specific items, see inline > > On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 9:52 PM, Ken Schaefer <[email protected]> > wrote: > > People do things all the time that they are admonished not to. > > How many people here have: > - never spoken on a mobile phone whilst driving a car > > I have a hands free system in my car > > - never smoked a cigarette > > I avoid smoking, but I have been known to enjoy a cigar > > - never failed to switch off your electronic devices whilst on an airborne > plane after being directed > > I do shut off devices, I've directed a traveller next to me to do so, as > well. > > - etc > > (I realise that the last one doesn't really have any impact on the flying > off the plane, but none the less you are being directed by someone in > authority to do something, yet didn't) > > And then there are the cases where your friend/family/whatever recommends > that you don't buy xyz product, or don't visit xyz shop or whatever. Does > everyone always follow that advise? Or put on safety goggles when doing work > in the garage or whatever. The fact of the matter is that people take > *risks* all the time. Despite advice to the contrary. > > Sometimes it's: > a) the way we communicate the message - just saying "don't do it" isn't > sufficient for some people > > I try and explain why it's bad, such as they're going to get your credit > card, or get access to other information on your computer, if they haven't > already done so. Leave it off until I can look at it. > > b) the regard in which we are held - we are not always seen as "god" > > I don't pretend to be god, I present myself as a professional. If you > come to me asking for a professional opinion and then ignore it, well, that > is your choice, but don't expect me to bend over backwards to help you, > either. > > c) what people perceive the risks to be, and how likely they think the risk > will. If people think "this will never happen to me" then they'll go and go > it anyway. > > Careful explanation of why doing something in a) is bad is the beginning, > explaining how I arrived at that opinion is part of b) and c) is, if they > are going to do it because they can't stave off the impluse, or because they > have no choice are two different things. > > > > Cheers > Ken > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Jonathan Link [mailto:[email protected]] > > Sent: Friday, 28 January 2011 8:02 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > > Subject: Re: Intel developing security 'game-changer' > > To ignore the advice of an expert you are relying on for advice/work to be > done is idiocy. I don't consider my users idiots until they give me cause. > Ignoring advice of using a compromised computer to buy a widget with a debit > card is beyond the pale. > > On Thursday, January 27, 2011, Shauna Hensala <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > I thought it was good - remarkably astute. We all know different things > - to classify someone as an idiot because they don't know the things you > know is a fallacy. Plus the sigh correlation was good for a chuckle! > > > > > > > Subject: Re: Intel developing security 'game-changer' > > > From: [email protected] > > Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:31:07 -0500 > > > To: [email protected] > > > > Sensitive as always. :) > > > > > > > William J. RobbinsEnterprise Infrastructure OperationsOffice of > > > Information ManagementDeloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited On Jan 27, 2011, > at 18:25, "Gary Slinger" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > What a load of hippy crap. What part of "don't use that system" has to > be explained in kindergarten terms to a user? > > > > They're not "special", they're "idiots". > > From: Steven Peck <[email protected]> > > > Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:22:28 -0800To: NT System Admin Issues< > [email protected]>ReplyTo: "NT System Admin Issues" < > [email protected]>Subject: Re: Intel developing > security 'game-changer' > > > We all have our share of special users. Those are interesting stories. > Some of us have our share of educational victories as well. Those that > learn after getting the right information after only one or two bad > experiences. > > > > For instance, I have this thing in my kitchen that makes things hot (my > wife calls it an oven). If I have a recipe that I follow I can get an > approximation of edible food. Sometimes I get lucky and it's really good, > other times it's merely a lesson in what doesn't work. In the cooking world > I am that 'special user'. Fortunately my wife does not mock me for it, > although I am beginning to suspect a correlation between my attempts to bake > and her loud sighs, I may have to chart the occurrences. > > > > For our special users (even our general ones), we must remember that > people learn differently and often we must craft our educational message to > fit our users ability to comprehend. Educating people on social engineering > is a rather time consuming task. Lot's to be learned from the advertising > fields in how to present the same overall message in different formats for > user consumption. > > > > Steven Peck > > > <http://www.blkmtn.org>http://www.blkmtn.org > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 2:00 PM, Rankin, James R <[email protected]> > wrote: > > I had a home user recently showing all the signs of malware. I told him > not to use his pc till I could look at it. And he went and made a purchase > with his debit card. Against that sort of idiocy, we admins are doomed to > fail. > > Typed frustratingly slowly on my BlackBerry® wireless device > > From: David Lum <[email protected]> > > > Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:55:37 -0800To: NT System Admin > > > Issues<[email protected]> > > ReplyTo: "NT System Admin Issues" < > [email protected]>Subject: RE: Intel developing > security 'game-changer' > > > > You mean I'm not supposed to enter my Visa number at a site that will > give me winning lottery numbers on an animated stripper card that includes a > free registry and spyware scan and install AntiVirus 2069? > > Who knew? > > Dave > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ < > http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
