Corporate strategy

We've discovered something.

Our corporate strategy is goal based.
In a sort of 'where do you want to go today'.
But not in a technology sense, oh no. But by which vendors give the best jollies.

The analogy one of my collegues gave me was this.
The NSC (our resident REMFs) decree that we shall be going to the moon in a month. And that we're going to assign blah to accomplish it.

You thing 'well, that's a bit challenging really, innit' and shrug and go off and get started.

A month later, when you return with your report of the technical difficulties involved, and the cost/benefit analysis of the moon mission, they respond with:

"No, you've got that wrong. We've got 50 people going to the moon, not just the 2 you assumed, and we had a consultant tell use that it was viable, so it must be so. Because after all, if you send 50 people, you split the service cost between them, and it becomes cheap."

"And a fridge. We want a fridge to got to the moon too."

At which point, you're left with the choice of going and implementing an impossible project, and hoping that no one notices it disappearing (which they won't, because by then the next issue of Computing Weekly will be out, and it'll be something else).

or you tell them that actually, they're not being terribly realistic (translation, they don't have a fucking clue) at which point you're being 'unhelpful and obstructive'.

What fun.

Copying managers in on emails

I've just had a stinking weasel respond to a tentive query.
I was looking along the lines of 'is there any point in us upgrading your computation servers'.

And his response?

"we pay x per year for Unix. If you need to upgrade the hardware then great.....but at your cost not ours!"

Copied to my manager.

Now is it just me who thinks that this is a stinking weasel tactic? I find it take remarkably pot shots at someone, and copy it to someone else in the department.

Now all fair enough. If there's a discussion going on, that several people are a party to, a conversation that need to be kept up to date, then fine.

But .. I dunno, just replying with a snotty response, and copying it to senior management just strikes me as remarkably irritating.

Especially when the initial message was a 'what would your reaction be to...'.

Bah. Users. Can't put up with them, can't just go postal, get the AEG out of your car boot and chase them around the office screaming "you're a bunch of bloody buggering shits" whilst taking pot shots at them with a BB gun.

But tomorrow is a rest day

So it's friday tomorrow.
And as is my wont, I intend to be settling down in the Nursery tavern for a jug or 3 of their beer.

If you can read this, you're welcome to join me. Usual sort of time of arrival, being about 7pm. It may even be clement enough to occupy their beer garden.

And yey though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, because I shall be racing away with beer coat, beer armour, beer scooter and beer goggles.

Kobolds Ate my Baby

I must have a copy of Kobolds ate my baby (link nicked off nuala)

I mean, who couldn't love a game that includes the rule:
The "KOBOLD DRINKING SONGS" Rule
If every living Kobold stands up and sings a Kobold Drinking Song (NOTE: EVERYONE ALIVE MUST SING OR THIS DOESN'T WORK), they can force the Mayor re-roll any result. What is a Kobold Drinking Song you ask - just about any ditty with the words "Beer" and "Kobold" in it! This only works ONCE per game.

http://www.warehouse23.com/item.cgi?9LG9003

End of story

The BBC are running a writing competition. It's called 'end of story'.
And basically, several authors have written something, and you get to finish it off.

Good eh?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/endofstory/