RE: How many have this problem at work?

["Scudder, Beth" <beth -dot- scudder -at- retek -dot- com>]

*lol*

Wow, Kevin, can I work where you work?

<grin>

Beth Scudder
Technical Editor/Writer
Retek Inc.


Quis editoriet ipsos editores?


	-----Original Message-----
	From:	KMcLauchlan -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com
[SMTP:KMcLauchlan -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com]
	Sent:	Tuesday, April 25, 2000 9:38 AM
	To:	TECHWR-L
	Subject:	RE: How many have this problem at work?

	Jane, and all,
	Here at my company, we (i.e. grunt labo[u]r) are considered to 
	be adults... if there's a loose meaning of the term...  :-)

	The only almost-firmly-worded restriction I've encountered in the 
	two years I've been here was one published about six weeks ago:

	"Please minimize your web browsing during business hours. We 
	 have grown faster than our internet connection, and the new T1 
	 will not be installed for at least four weeks."

	Last week, the IT manager and the VP Engineering sent out 
	another message:

	"Ok gang, Internet is back. Please be responsible in your use.
	We'll let you know if bandwidth gets tight again."

	Some people have stock tickers running in permanent windows 
	on their screens. At least two have a nifty applet (that one of them

	wrote while learning Java for a project) that scans through a dozen 
	"cartoon of the day" sites in five-minute-per-site rotation. Hardly 
	anybody ISN'T on a mailing list from his/her stock broker.

	But then, several people spend their entire workdays with 
	headphones glued to their ears.  They all get their work done, 
	without disturbing others, so management considers it a non-issue.
	My friend Doug, across the cubicle aisle, has his forty-gallon 
	fresh-water aquarium beside his bookshelf.  Jason, who left to 
	work with one of our partner-customers, maintained an imposing 
	collection of Nerf balls, Nerf guns, and even water pistols. Until 
	Jason left, Diane used to go through a lot of glass-cleaner, to 
	get the sucker-dart marks off her screen - with all that practice, 
	(Jason was customer-support supervisor, and fired off a round 
	or three after ... sometimes during... every support call) Jason 
	was a crack shot.  Each new employee is 
	issued a kit of standard office stuff (pens, stapler, scissors,
	coffee mug, etc.), including a little sponge squeeze-ball, 
	representing the Earth, with our company logo plastered over it.
	I used to religiously return them (airborne, of course) when they'd 
	come sailing into my cubicle. Then I stockpiled a few, and I've 
	been trying (in desultory fashion) to graduate from juggling three 
	balls to juggling four...  it's a good way to loosen up when I've 
	been hunched in front of the screen for too long.  The pose-able, 
	stuffed chicken that sits atop my bookshelf has a begging cup, 
	and wears a sign entreating passersby:

	"Will proofreed for chicken-feed.
	 Will perform unnatural physical acts for CHOCOLATE."

	The proofreed is intentionally misspelled and has copy-edit marks 
	in the appropriate places.   When the chicken is asked to perform 
	an unnatural act, I bend one of his "knees" the wrong way, or wrap 
	one of his legs around his neck.  That seems to net me more cringes 
	than chocolate, but...

	Anyway, in addition to this list, I receive two FrameMaker lists,
the 
	Copy Editors list, an STC sig list, a Linux list and one or two
others 
	whose names elude me just now.  As well, I get the Grammar-Lady 
	newsletter and several other periodical publications, some of which 
	might be a real stretch to classify as work-related.

	So, I guess the short answer to the question is: "No, I don't think 
	we have that problem - net martinets - here."

	Now, if you'll excuse me, I will lay out my collection of little
iron and 
	bent-nail puzzles, and see now many passing engineers I can 
	snare.

	Mmhm, la-dah, dah-dee, dah-dah, it's ma-agic....  (*)


	/kevin

	(*) with apologies to Bugs Bunny