About time

garethace · August 8th, 2003

http://www.tenlinks.com/NEWS/PR/AUTO...703_piracy.htm

Might make my job a bit easier as a trainer of a non-Autodesk product in an office. I keep having to beg staff 'not' to boot leg stuff and use it, while 5 thousand euros worth of software lies idle on their machine - because they 'prefer to ignore the company standards' and go and use whatever they feel like. The high turn-over rate of staff, and the bosses pressure on these employees to get work done, isn't helping my situation either. Drag.

Hazdaz · August 10th, 2003

Don't get me started with these idiotic anti-piracy programs, and the totaly bogus 'statistics' that they use as a defense.

BUT for YOUR situation, why don't you just change the Rights for the users in your office so they CAN'T install software onto their computers? If everyone has administrative rights, then your just asking for problems - espesialy with non-computer literate users.... they always find SOME way to mess things up.

Jeff Mottle · August 10th, 2003

Hey Gareth,

The last place I worked they had just implemented a strict programe and policy to deal with exactly what you are having issues with now. Almost everyone as an admin and as you can imagine we had a ton of bootleg files, MP3, games etc etc. All eating up valuable network drive space and chewing into backup times. To combat this they did the following:

- Implemented a new software that scanned the entire network and all machines for changes to the default software base. If a change was made an email report was sent to the IT department head detailing what was installed and by whom. That person them promptly received a visit.

- Once the new policy went into place a new set of rules were sent to everyone and you had to sign them indicating that you would abide by the new rules. Failure to do so was grounds for getting fired.

- I don't think they changed the admin rights as it just get's to be a real pain to do anything.

- They also had a network drive scan tool that looked for files with sepcific extensions, like MP3, and if it found any it kept popping up a window on your screeen each day until you removed them from the network.

I think it worked pretty well. Although at first there was a huge backlash. What people forget is that they do not own these computers, nor any of the software.

Jeff Mottle · August 10th, 2003

Quote:

Don't get me started with these idiotic anti-piracy programs, and the totaly bogus 'statistics' that they use as a defense.

Does it really matter if they say they lost $5 or $1 Trillion? In the end they are just trying to scare people into making sure they are legal. Even if the numebrs are bogus (And I too suspect they are "baked", like most statistics), pirated software is still illegal and the companies that choose to run this way should in my opinion be made examples of. Expecially when these companies are big enough to both afford the software and know better. Just my 2 cents, but then I am pretty hard line when it comes to this stuff.

Greg Hess · August 10th, 2003

BUT for YOUR situation, why don't you just change the Rights for the users in your office so they CAN'T install software onto their computers? If everyone has administrative rights, then your just asking for problems - espesialy with non-computer literate users

Many programs and applications require levels of access which if enabled, also allow for applications/programs to be installed.

When I first arrived at the Department of Entomology, most machines had restricted user rights. The amount of downtime due to this was considerable.

Anytime someone wanted to change a setting...my phone would ring.

Anytime someone needed to install an application...my phone would ring.

Anytime someone wanted to both change the res and the FONTS my phone would ring.

Multiply this by 150 times, and you get the picture.

Not to mention most of the computer stability problems were caused by the original admin setups (the guy before me). The user rights were too few and it caused OS problems.

My solution was to give everyone admin access to their own machines (actually their own machines), and just put power user restrictions on machines which had more then 1 user.

Of course this requires more maintance (I try and hit each computer every 2-3 months)[Normal cleanup/updates takes 1-3 hours depending on machine speed], but results in far less calls/problems (if the machines are setup correctly).

And as far as computer-savy...I've had people here snap a cdrom tray in half and forget to turn the power strip on (my computer won't boot!).

My favorite is still the cockroach on the toner wheel. Hilarous.

garethace · August 10th, 2003

My biggest problem by far, is to imagine myself, even going into work using my copy of 3DS VIZ to do work - sure i would love to - but then none of the people at work use that file format, it is all dgn MicroStation J.

So if i wish to use 3DS VIZ, which would cut through certain tasks in a fraction of the time, i would be working as an individual in the company, not as a team member. The data which i produce, would be of much less value to the organisation - since no one here has trained in VIZ - just one software MicroStation.

I made the effort, left my 3DS VIZ package at home after a month or two here - put in the effort to learn a new package - and have since managed to use MicroStation and enjoy it for the benefits/advantages it offers as a software, rather than worry overly about its limitations - which are rather too many IMO for the work VIZ can breeze through.

I am in no doubt whatsoever, that we could maximise work output, handle more clients, handle more pressure before reaching capacity using VIZ and MicroStation, or VIZ and AutoCAD - but that is not the point - the point is people hear sleep easier at night in the knowledge that everything i do is in a format they can use/understand/criticise. If they fired me in the morning, then all my work done, would not walk out the door with me. I owe it to the boss and other employees to comply - because they own my digital work output, full stop - it is their property and not my own.

Noone here though, other than myself, has any regard for this simple point of fact. In fact, i was basically kicked off a couple of jobs i was working on, because i didn't use the cracked software - the guys who did, got ahead in the practice and were given the jobs. I have spent too long here now, just being given crap work to do, or no work at all sometimes. The pay rise i expected to receive, when i was learning MicroStation properly, and trying to integrate with their system and work proceedures has disappearing like a fart in the breeze.

A couple of very talented young designers have arrived here in my time, and none have be asked to learn MicroStation - yet all have a 5,000 worth of MicroStation sitting, gathering dust on the shelf - just an ornament. THey are building/designing and managing alot of jobs using cracked stuff, of all file formats. I hate what the boss has allowed to happen here - especially since i made the effort to comply with proceedures, learn the house software and so on. The boss tries to pretend he is 'evaluating' the other softwares, by using the cracked versions - but that is bullshit - he just doesn't want to waste time, having his staff learn MicroStation.

I feel badly let down as an employee over this, and am now going to leave this practice for good with my tail between my legs. THe other f***ers here, are all just laughing their tails off at me, for not using the cracked stuff - the boss included. It is not even using the cracked stuff that would bother me, even though i am against that totally - it is the fact, the boss told me when i arrived to go and learn MicroStation, and now having done that - put in the time with this practice, he now will now honour that contract, by using MicroStation to do jobs with!

Instead he allows the whole place, to become a free for all - and jobs are done in about 10 different file formats - there are no rules anymore. A year ago, the MicroStation users here, sat down and agreed upon a good layer/level structure - so that everyone can work together and cooperate. About 20 percent are now complying with this layer/level structure - and the rest just went off and did their own layer/level structure according to which cracked software they are using.

Here is something that i read at www.irishcomputer.com last week. A new startup magazine for IT profs here in Ireland. This has been a very serious lesson for me as a practicising designer - that designing using computers isn't like paper and pencils used to be - you cannot work at all properly as a designer in this environment, where everyone is their own sys admin.

What kills me most of all, is that this firm has been around for two/three generations. ANd the lady here in charge of backups - is more worried about backing up the illegally generated files now, than the legal MicroStation stuff - since she recognises the illegal stuff 'looks cooler' than the legal stuff. I am discusted with this behaviour from someone who is put in charge of all IT budgets here. She buys all fancy new hardware and kit, for whoever will come up with some new fancy cracked software and produce cool looking whiz-bang designs - but she thinks now, that all software out their is perfectly free, and just licenses MicroStation, as a smoke screen - behind which noone uses the established company software anymore - just pretends to.

I think these clever, devious, unscrupolous illegal users are more dangerous by far, than someone, who buys no software at all - i could not prove anything to anyone about this practice - if i throw any accusations, she says that all the illegal illustrator, 3d, web design, image editing.... that all came out of the one licensed package, which noone actually uses, because no one has even learned how to.

I take enormous insult to this as a computer user firstly - as someone who believes in the power of IT and software to do good work. But when it boils down to it, for myself as a man, as a human being, as a creative spirit - i take insult to this because i am spending too many years of my young life having to worry about not collaborating properly on jobs, with the rest of the practice - because we have no standard format like in the days of paper and pencil.

Quote:

No improvement in Irish software piracy

Despite experiencing the highest drop in software piracy in Europe from 1994 to 2000, Ireland’s piracy rate has not improved in the last two years. The software piracy rate in Ireland remains static at 42 per cent. A piracy rate of 42 per cent means that almost one in every two-business software programs installed in Ireland is an illegal copy. These were the findings of the Business Software Alliance’s (BSA) eighth annual survey on software piracy an independent study conducted by IPR and released today worldwide.

Commenting on the findings Julian McMenamin, chairman of BSA Ireland said, “The lack of improvement on Ireland’s piracy rate can be attributed to the proliferation of internet piracy (as it provides an alternative distribution channel for pirated software) and a certain amount of apathy. But whatever the excuse, a piracy rate of 42 per cent is appalling. Although the current business environment is difficult, companies must appreciate the value of software and ensure sound software asset management procedures are put in place. It is obvious that bolder measures will have to be taken to combat the continuing problem of piracy in Ireland.”

I was hoping to return to college and finish my degree in architectural design after this experience of working in the field. But now the prospects of this happening are extremely unlikely - and the guys here at work know that - they have used every trick in the book to prevent me from integrating into the office workflow. I was all heart, all determination and brim-full of resolve to make something out of myself.

I could go to my college here in Ireland, and explain this dilema - but really, noone here in the college is IT literate enough to understand the difficulties of this. I would love to report this practice for illegal usage of software too. But i don't think i should have to - these practices should be screened for mal-practice, and not get away with this - at the end of the day - the workers trying to do well and learn are the ones taking it on the chin.

Most of the people working here are from abroad, and will leave after about 6-12 months here in Ireland. I am the only Irish person working here, who isn't a lower grade technician/draftsman - i wish i was now, because at least those guys have to stick to the standards, rules and regulations.

Back in 1998, i did an interview and was told by the architect back then - if i learned computers and became a computer designer instead of a drawing board architect, i would get jobs no problem. I believed him back then, and worked hard to do so - but to be treated to an experience like this at the end of the day - is nothing short of an insult to me as a serious design professional, and as a human being.

Furthermore, it has contributed to a terrible lack of confidence in my own ability to work in architectural practices as a designer - owing to the trauma of this particular experience. I will have to pull myself together pretty quick though, or be ran out of the race altogether. The other day, the bosses son, came in and asked me to copy a couple of CDs for him - these are the shit kind of jobs i get now. He is a student in architecture college here. THe CDs contained about 40-50,000 worth of software! And has done projects here using MAYA! ! ! ! ! WTF!

[ August 11, 2003, 06:03 AM: Message edited by: garethace ]

Jeff Mottle · August 11th, 2003

Man it sounds like you should leave this company before they drain you of every ounce of life. Seriously.

Then right after you get hired on I'd call up your friendly neigbourhood BSA office and stick it to them.

Ernest Burden · August 11th, 2003

Quote:

Furthermore, it has contributed to a terrible lack of confidence in my own ability to work in architectural practices as a designer - owing to the trauma of this particular experience. I will have to pull myself together pretty quick though, or be ran out of the race altogether.

Yeah, sounds like a diseased office. And you are right--you cannot cure this corrupted practice. You do need to get out and 'save yourelf, its too late for them'. No shame in that, either. Just walk. Some workplaces are poisonous.

If you do want to report the illegal software use you should not be so quick to assume nothing will happen because of the 'smokescreen'. First of all, if you report the situation and explain the Microstation ruse, the anti-piracy alliance could, if they wanted to, get the Irish equivelant of a search warrant. To be honest, I doubt they would bother. I reported piracy to Discreet about Lightscape, and the reply from their head was basically "bummer".

However you have two much more interesting avenues for reporting them:

First would be the Irish version of the AIA or whatever government body holds their licences to practice architecture. Even if nothing actually happened, being investigated might make them re-examine their wicked ways.

The second interested party to whom you could complain would be the insurance carrier for the business. If the firm gets hit with a suit over software piracy the insurance carrier will be left to pay or defend it. I guarentee they will care if the business is using illegal software to deliver 'product' in a high-liability practice. I don't know about Ireland, but in the US lawyers would eat alive any architect that had used illegal software to design a building that caused injury later. This is probably your best avenue to changing the office culture.

Good luck!

garethace · August 11th, 2003

Well Jeff and Ernst, thankyou both for reading my story - a least other young men/women out there can benefit from hearing my experiences too. I.e. the new digital generations of young talented designers - as i said in my post, it is those young people who are hit hardest of all, by mal-practice. My biggest hope would be that university and educational establishments become more aware of this - as they specify work experience as a major part of university courses in architecture.

I am aware that people, myself included just love to complain and to give out about places where one worked etc, etc, etc. But in my account above, i tried as hard as i could to leave out the emtional hatred, or distaste i have for various employers, and to just stick to the major points - like you say, from my point of view now, i just need to find a practice which doesn't carry on like i described - at least, in future i will know in advance what types of organisations/people not to work for.

Its just to preserve my own future, and fulfill my own potential - i owe that duty to the same almighty who put me on this earth to begin with, as much as myself. But in some practices here in Ireland, you have about a fifty/fifty chance of being really lucky and doing very well. On the other hand, you have also a fifty/fifty chance of falling into these kinds of problems.

What surprises me, is how 'high up' this practice is - but i suppose if the guy running the place just inherited everything from his Dad - maybe he doesn't fully respect what he has. I kicked up over something once before and swore never again - in a country as small as this, and judging by how things operate - the place is just too small, and i would be cutting off my nose to spite my face unfortunately.

I just made a post here at cyburbia, which might compare it a bit to Gangs of New York: http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/showt...5763#post85763

Like in the movie, i feel that some day this kind of five points situation, will just disappear and never be seen again - at the moment though, the software world is a gang world.

I have a friend here even a cleaner in a supermarket, and if she arrived late onto her job, apparently the manager of the supermarket can blame the cleaning company for any accidents of customers slipping. So in certain occupations the legality thing is really big - i must do a little more investigation and see exactly how architecture deals with illegal software.

But the key thing for me, is to make my universtiy at least see that i am genuine about doing work experience, it is just the people I am working for haven't been entirely cooperative with me. I even had to bring in my own pc at one stage, and use the 15 minute try-out edition of MicroStation. I was just at my wits end, trying to get some proper hands-on doing drawings etc. Using that, i managed to do a whole set of revised work drawings for an architect here - which the builders and fire officer certified. But somehow, all those drawings mysterious disappeared, when the architect i had done the drawings for subsequently left the practice.

The builders were actually building the building, and phoning the practice for a copy of the actual drawings - which didn't exist. Because someone at the practice, who didn't want me 'doing anything there' (because i was good) secretly deleted them. I informed the new draughtsman working on the job, that i had done a set of drawings, but everyone in the practice denied all knowledge of it. I had a CDROM backup for myself - but instead of pursuing the matter any longer, i smelled a big rat, and kept my CDROM copy of the building drawings to myself.

That is when i really began to get a 'diseased feeling' about the place all right. The apartments got built without any drawings, and the people bought the apartments with good money. The boss said to me, that he was a 'little upset' by the incident, but i just kept my CDR backup to myself, and said nothing. Afterwards, various members of the practice would come to me and ask my to 'steal' digital information on various projects in the practice - possibly trying to put me in the shit, and tarnish my professional standing. I could go on and on and on.... what an experience!

I am just delighted i have managed to keep my own innocence intact as much as possible. If i can live through this incestuous experience, i think i will survive through almost anything. In the building game over here, all the contractors involved in a building, get large bonuses for finishing buildings quicker - it doesn't matter if things are doing incorrectly - just as long as things are done quickly. Every 20 years there is a building boom, and then everything stops short for another 20 years - i was experiencing the worst aspects of 'boom time'.

[ August 11, 2003, 09:34 AM: Message edited by: garethace ]

kid · August 11th, 2003

wow, that sounds like hell.

go back to school, have some fun, and wipe away those bad memories with excessive social drinking and drug use

August 10th, 2003	#3 (permalink)
Jeff Mottle President/Founder Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Age: 33 Posts: 5,075 Name: Jeff Mottle	Hey Gareth, The last place I worked they had just implemented a strict programe and policy to deal with exactly what you are having issues with now. Almost everyone as an admin and as you can imagine we had a ton of bootleg files, MP3, games etc etc. All eating up valuable network drive space and chewing into backup times. To combat this they did the following: - Implemented a new software that scanned the entire network and all machines for changes to the default software base. If a change was made an email report was sent to the IT department head detailing what was installed and by whom. That person them promptly received a visit. - Once the new policy went into place a new set of rules were sent to everyone and you had to sign them indicating that you would abide by the new rules. Failure to do so was grounds for getting fired. - I don't think they changed the admin rights as it just get's to be a real pain to do anything. - They also had a network drive scan tool that looked for files with sepcific extensions, like MP3, and if it found any it kept popping up a window on your screeen each day until you removed them from the network. I think it worked pretty well. Although at first there was a huge backlash. What people forget is that they do not own these computers, nor any of the software. __________________ Jeff Mottle CGarchitect.com

August 11th, 2003	#7 (permalink)
Jeff Mottle President/Founder Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Age: 33 Posts: 5,075 Name: Jeff Mottle	Man it sounds like you should leave this company before they drain you of every ounce of life. Seriously. Then right after you get hired on I'd call up your friendly neigbourhood BSA office and stick it to them. __________________ Jeff Mottle CGarchitect.com

August 11th, 2003	#10 (permalink)
kid Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 629 Name: ad hominem	wow, that sounds like hell. go back to school, have some fun, and wipe away those bad memories with excessive social drinking and drug use __________________ cabbages

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August 8th, 2003	#1 (permalink)
garethace Invalid User Profile Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ireland Posts: 825 Name: gareth ace	http://www.tenlinks.com/NEWS/PR/AUTO...703_piracy.htm Might make my job a bit easier as a trainer of a non-Autodesk product in an office. I keep having to beg staff 'not' to boot leg stuff and use it, while 5 thousand euros worth of software lies idle on their machine - because they 'prefer to ignore the company standards' and go and use whatever they feel like. The high turn-over rate of staff, and the bosses pressure on these employees to get work done, isn't helping my situation either. Drag.

August 10th, 2003	#2 (permalink)
Hazdaz Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: the nutmeg state Posts: 325 Name: S E H	Don't get me started with these idiotic anti-piracy programs, and the totaly bogus 'statistics' that they use as a defense. BUT for YOUR situation, why don't you just change the Rights for the users in your office so they CAN'T install software onto their computers? If everyone has administrative rights, then your just asking for problems - espesialy with non-computer literate users.... they always find SOME way to mess things up.

August 10th, 2003	#5 (permalink)
Greg Hess Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: University of Maryland Age: 30 Posts: 1,012 Name: Greg Hess	BUT for YOUR situation, why don't you just change the Rights for the users in your office so they CAN'T install software onto their computers? If everyone has administrative rights, then your just asking for problems - espesialy with non-computer literate users Many programs and applications require levels of access which if enabled, also allow for applications/programs to be installed. When I first arrived at the Department of Entomology, most machines had restricted user rights. The amount of downtime due to this was considerable. Anytime someone wanted to change a setting...my phone would ring. Anytime someone needed to install an application...my phone would ring. Anytime someone wanted to both change the res and the FONTS my phone would ring. Multiply this by 150 times, and you get the picture. Not to mention most of the computer stability problems were caused by the original admin setups (the guy before me). The user rights were too few and it caused OS problems. My solution was to give everyone admin access to their own machines (actually their own machines), and just put power user restrictions on machines which had more then 1 user. Of course this requires more maintance (I try and hit each computer every 2-3 months)[Normal cleanup/updates takes 1-3 hours depending on machine speed], but results in far less calls/problems (if the machines are setup correctly). And as far as computer-savy...I've had people here snap a cdrom tray in half and forget to turn the power strip on (my computer won't boot!). My favorite is still the cockroach on the toner wheel. Hilarous.

August 11th, 2003	#9 (permalink)
garethace Invalid User Profile Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ireland Posts: 825 Name: gareth ace	Well Jeff and Ernst, thankyou both for reading my story - a least other young men/women out there can benefit from hearing my experiences too. I.e. the new digital generations of young talented designers - as i said in my post, it is those young people who are hit hardest of all, by mal-practice. My biggest hope would be that university and educational establishments become more aware of this - as they specify work experience as a major part of university courses in architecture. I am aware that people, myself included just love to complain and to give out about places where one worked etc, etc, etc. But in my account above, i tried as hard as i could to leave out the emtional hatred, or distaste i have for various employers, and to just stick to the major points - like you say, from my point of view now, i just need to find a practice which doesn't carry on like i described - at least, in future i will know in advance what types of organisations/people not to work for. Its just to preserve my own future, and fulfill my own potential - i owe that duty to the same almighty who put me on this earth to begin with, as much as myself. But in some practices here in Ireland, you have about a fifty/fifty chance of being really lucky and doing very well. On the other hand, you have also a fifty/fifty chance of falling into these kinds of problems. What surprises me, is how 'high up' this practice is - but i suppose if the guy running the place just inherited everything from his Dad - maybe he doesn't fully respect what he has. I kicked up over something once before and swore never again - in a country as small as this, and judging by how things operate - the place is just too small, and i would be cutting off my nose to spite my face unfortunately. I just made a post here at cyburbia, which might compare it a bit to Gangs of New York: http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/showt...5763#post85763 Like in the movie, i feel that some day this kind of five points situation, will just disappear and never be seen again - at the moment though, the software world is a gang world. I have a friend here even a cleaner in a supermarket, and if she arrived late onto her job, apparently the manager of the supermarket can blame the cleaning company for any accidents of customers slipping. So in certain occupations the legality thing is really big - i must do a little more investigation and see exactly how architecture deals with illegal software. But the key thing for me, is to make my universtiy at least see that i am genuine about doing work experience, it is just the people I am working for haven't been entirely cooperative with me. I even had to bring in my own pc at one stage, and use the 15 minute try-out edition of MicroStation. I was just at my wits end, trying to get some proper hands-on doing drawings etc. Using that, i managed to do a whole set of revised work drawings for an architect here - which the builders and fire officer certified. But somehow, all those drawings mysterious disappeared, when the architect i had done the drawings for subsequently left the practice. The builders were actually building the building, and phoning the practice for a copy of the actual drawings - which didn't exist. Because someone at the practice, who didn't want me 'doing anything there' (because i was good) secretly deleted them. I informed the new draughtsman working on the job, that i had done a set of drawings, but everyone in the practice denied all knowledge of it. I had a CDROM backup for myself - but instead of pursuing the matter any longer, i smelled a big rat, and kept my CDROM copy of the building drawings to myself. That is when i really began to get a 'diseased feeling' about the place all right. The apartments got built without any drawings, and the people bought the apartments with good money. The boss said to me, that he was a 'little upset' by the incident, but i just kept my CDR backup to myself, and said nothing. Afterwards, various members of the practice would come to me and ask my to 'steal' digital information on various projects in the practice - possibly trying to put me in the shit, and tarnish my professional standing. I could go on and on and on.... what an experience! I am just delighted i have managed to keep my own innocence intact as much as possible. If i can live through this incestuous experience, i think i will survive through almost anything. In the building game over here, all the contractors involved in a building, get large bonuses for finishing buildings quicker - it doesn't matter if things are doing incorrectly - just as long as things are done quickly. Every 20 years there is a building boom, and then everything stops short for another 20 years - i was experiencing the worst aspects of 'boom time'. [ August 11, 2003, 09:34 AM: Message edited by: garethace ]

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