Software license
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What would you do if you know that a fairly senior person in your company is using a small unlicensed program? The program is installed on a customer machine (major corporation) as part as a large engineering project. I brought the fact that license is needed for this program but was told "don't tell anyone" (via email). The program appears to be developed by a small shop and it only costs about $30 for 5 licenses (smallest block of licenses they sell). The program is free for private use but for companies they "deliver" a license. What do you think I should do? Should I bring it to my manager's attention or what? The engineer is second level manager but he is not in my group, so he is not my manager.
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What would you do if you know that a fairly senior person in your company is using a small unlicensed program? The program is installed on a customer machine (major corporation) as part as a large engineering project. I brought the fact that license is needed for this program but was told "don't tell anyone" (via email). The program appears to be developed by a small shop and it only costs about $30 for 5 licenses (smallest block of licenses they sell). The program is free for private use but for companies they "deliver" a license. What do you think I should do? Should I bring it to my manager's attention or what? The engineer is second level manager but he is not in my group, so he is not my manager.
VentsyV wrote:
What do you think I should do?
Get someone with financial delegation to approve the purchase of a 5 licence pack for $30.
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What would you do if you know that a fairly senior person in your company is using a small unlicensed program? The program is installed on a customer machine (major corporation) as part as a large engineering project. I brought the fact that license is needed for this program but was told "don't tell anyone" (via email). The program appears to be developed by a small shop and it only costs about $30 for 5 licenses (smallest block of licenses they sell). The program is free for private use but for companies they "deliver" a license. What do you think I should do? Should I bring it to my manager's attention or what? The engineer is second level manager but he is not in my group, so he is not my manager.
Does it even make sense to work for a company that cannot afford to buy a $30 license?
If you truly believe you need to pick a mobile phone that "says something" about your personality, don't bother. You don't have a personality. A mental illness, maybe, but not a personality. [Charlie Brooker] ScrewTurn Wiki and My Software Startup
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Does it even make sense to work for a company that cannot afford to buy a $30 license?
If you truly believe you need to pick a mobile phone that "says something" about your personality, don't bother. You don't have a personality. A mental illness, maybe, but not a personality. [Charlie Brooker] ScrewTurn Wiki and My Software Startup
Well, I have to work somewhere don't I? :^) They are really good about licenses, I think this guy just didn't feel like figuring out how to get it purchased, expense it do the paperwork sort of thing. Corporate is pushing down all this paperwork on us, even the smallest thing takes forever ...
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Well, I have to work somewhere don't I? :^) They are really good about licenses, I think this guy just didn't feel like figuring out how to get it purchased, expense it do the paperwork sort of thing. Corporate is pushing down all this paperwork on us, even the smallest thing takes forever ...
Oh I see. That's why I founded my own company. ;)
If you truly believe you need to pick a mobile phone that "says something" about your personality, don't bother. You don't have a personality. A mental illness, maybe, but not a personality. [Charlie Brooker] ScrewTurn Wiki and My Software Startup
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What would you do if you know that a fairly senior person in your company is using a small unlicensed program? The program is installed on a customer machine (major corporation) as part as a large engineering project. I brought the fact that license is needed for this program but was told "don't tell anyone" (via email). The program appears to be developed by a small shop and it only costs about $30 for 5 licenses (smallest block of licenses they sell). The program is free for private use but for companies they "deliver" a license. What do you think I should do? Should I bring it to my manager's attention or what? The engineer is second level manager but he is not in my group, so he is not my manager.
Tell him again - politely - and explain your position (i.e. make sure you don't just do this to piss him off), e.g. that you as a developer don't like to see other developers work not being paid. I know that ordering software sucks. Deciding if that's the right software, deciding if that's the right licence, order forms requesting the size of your trousers and some 10-digit numbers, downloading the setup, publishing the setup internally, and archiving it, archiving the licence key with licence conditions, forwarding the bill to finances, getting a complaint rom finances that this e-mail not event remotely resembles what the tax office would accept as a bill, telling the guy installing it that yes, the licence keys are archived where they always are .... If you don't have a budget, you can add a similar process to just getitng the purchase approved. Doubtless a little $30 software can easily add up to $300 or more in total cost. I don't know how to fix that. You can let the techs who want the software handle that - but they complain about all this unproductive extra work. Or you try to do your techs a favor, and have someone else (who doesn't need the software) handle the details. They quickly become gatekeepers - in order to make their own work smoother, you have to fill out a request for approval of purchase from Site X, get a Purchase Site ID after a week, which you can use in the actual purchase request, with detailed instructions what link to use and where to click, and they still get it wrong and revoke the Purchase Site ID because "it's not compatible with company policies". Same hassle with a approval. Getting every freaking line item approved is waste of administration, giving the guys a budget opens the door to all types of budget games.
Agh! Reality! My Archnemesis![^]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server. -
Tell him again - politely - and explain your position (i.e. make sure you don't just do this to piss him off), e.g. that you as a developer don't like to see other developers work not being paid. I know that ordering software sucks. Deciding if that's the right software, deciding if that's the right licence, order forms requesting the size of your trousers and some 10-digit numbers, downloading the setup, publishing the setup internally, and archiving it, archiving the licence key with licence conditions, forwarding the bill to finances, getting a complaint rom finances that this e-mail not event remotely resembles what the tax office would accept as a bill, telling the guy installing it that yes, the licence keys are archived where they always are .... If you don't have a budget, you can add a similar process to just getitng the purchase approved. Doubtless a little $30 software can easily add up to $300 or more in total cost. I don't know how to fix that. You can let the techs who want the software handle that - but they complain about all this unproductive extra work. Or you try to do your techs a favor, and have someone else (who doesn't need the software) handle the details. They quickly become gatekeepers - in order to make their own work smoother, you have to fill out a request for approval of purchase from Site X, get a Purchase Site ID after a week, which you can use in the actual purchase request, with detailed instructions what link to use and where to click, and they still get it wrong and revoke the Purchase Site ID because "it's not compatible with company policies". Same hassle with a approval. Getting every freaking line item approved is waste of administration, giving the guys a budget opens the door to all types of budget games.
Agh! Reality! My Archnemesis![^]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server.Some bureaucracies are just weird, our hardware outsource (IBM) will no longer publish their standard server specs, you have to request the specs for the machine and then they will tell you if it available X| bloody stupid in my opinion.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
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What would you do if you know that a fairly senior person in your company is using a small unlicensed program? The program is installed on a customer machine (major corporation) as part as a large engineering project. I brought the fact that license is needed for this program but was told "don't tell anyone" (via email). The program appears to be developed by a small shop and it only costs about $30 for 5 licenses (smallest block of licenses they sell). The program is free for private use but for companies they "deliver" a license. What do you think I should do? Should I bring it to my manager's attention or what? The engineer is second level manager but he is not in my group, so he is not my manager.
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Some bureaucracies are just weird, our hardware outsource (IBM) will no longer publish their standard server specs, you have to request the specs for the machine and then they will tell you if it available X| bloody stupid in my opinion.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
Mycroft Holmes wrote:
our hardware outsource (IBM) will no longer publish their standard server specs, you have to request the specs for the machine and then they will tell you if it available
That's weird. I wonder what are they trying to achieve with this?! :wtf:
“Follow your bliss.” – Joseph Campbell
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What would you do if you know that a fairly senior person in your company is using a small unlicensed program? The program is installed on a customer machine (major corporation) as part as a large engineering project. I brought the fact that license is needed for this program but was told "don't tell anyone" (via email). The program appears to be developed by a small shop and it only costs about $30 for 5 licenses (smallest block of licenses they sell). The program is free for private use but for companies they "deliver" a license. What do you think I should do? Should I bring it to my manager's attention or what? The engineer is second level manager but he is not in my group, so he is not my manager.
I would simply buy the software and add the cost to my expenses claim. The developers get their money and we avoid all the corporate hassle others have written about so eloquently. Maybe that wouldn't work for you?
Phil
The opinions expressed in this post are not necessarily those of the author, especially if you find them impolite, inaccurate or inflammatory.
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What would you do if you know that a fairly senior person in your company is using a small unlicensed program? The program is installed on a customer machine (major corporation) as part as a large engineering project. I brought the fact that license is needed for this program but was told "don't tell anyone" (via email). The program appears to be developed by a small shop and it only costs about $30 for 5 licenses (smallest block of licenses they sell). The program is free for private use but for companies they "deliver" a license. What do you think I should do? Should I bring it to my manager's attention or what? The engineer is second level manager but he is not in my group, so he is not my manager.
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What would you do if you know that a fairly senior person in your company is using a small unlicensed program? The program is installed on a customer machine (major corporation) as part as a large engineering project. I brought the fact that license is needed for this program but was told "don't tell anyone" (via email). The program appears to be developed by a small shop and it only costs about $30 for 5 licenses (smallest block of licenses they sell). The program is free for private use but for companies they "deliver" a license. What do you think I should do? Should I bring it to my manager's attention or what? The engineer is second level manager but he is not in my group, so he is not my manager.
Ask him to come work in your garden for a Saturday or 2, and tell him, you will pay it. Then reclaim the money from Finance ;P
xacc.ide
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