Calling IT names...

By "IT" I mean the information technology departments in the world. And we all have names for IT, none complimentary, for what we see as their policy implementations being an impediment to our doing what we feel we need to do with our company computing resources.

This has been borne out by a study published at Forbes.com that has found that almost 3/4 of us think that IT unnecessarily limits the use of technology it delivers without any explanation of why. But the question I found most illuminating was this one: When IT limits the use of technology, does it provide alternative ways to accomplish tasks? Yes: 19%; No: 81%. From discussions with Butters (an ex-IT manager) about this and how people complain and complain, I noted that engineers are an exception to that behavior.

From your puzzled expression I see I need to continue.

Engineers love a challenge and are trained to solve problems, so restricting the use of technology with a commandment-like start of "THOU SHALT NOT..." with no plausible explanation means one thing: Engineers are, sure as shootin', gonna immediately try to find a way to circumvent it.

And they will. Oh yeah, they will.

So all you IT folks out there, if your user population includes engineers who complain and then go silent? Look to your systems! Like a 5-yo that suddenly gets quiet in their play, it means they're doing something you probably don't want them to.

- Farmer Ted