What would you do?
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When I left my last job, my boss asked me to do him a favor and take a copy of all projects I had worked on with me. Just in case there was some trouble and they had to call me for help. This may sound strange, but it was a company full of SAP consultants and I made various .Net applications which got their data out of SAP. Finding bugs would have been difficult or expensive after I left. And I guess my old boss also trusted me a bit.
A while ago he asked me what he should have printed on my business cards. I said 'Wizard'. I read books which nobody else understand. Then I do something which nobody understands. After that the computer does something which nobody understands. When asked, I say things about the results which nobody understand. But everybody expects miracles from me on a regular basis. Looks to me like the classical definition of a wizard.
The person in question, was asked to leave. He was clueless when I got there, and clueless when he left.
xacc.ide
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Simon P Stevens wrote:
How do you know it was that way round. Perhaps he wrote it in his spare time and donated it to the company.
If he did, I rewrote it (as I said), it is the rewritten code that is an exact copy of the code I wrote. The last time that code was modified (version history) was by me, and about 1 - 2 months before he left our company.
Simon P Stevens wrote:
but unless it's a massive component or full project perhaps it's worth starting by assuming it's a genuine mistake or oversight.
It is rather trivial, but for that matter, the least he could have done is change type and member names here and there. And remember, Silverlight is just the tip of the iceberg. I highly suspect there to be more 'stolen' code in the backend.
Simon P Stevens wrote:
Personally, when I hit on any idea I think I might want to publish at some point I ensure I only work on it at home.
I agree, dont mix business with pleasure. In any case, I would make my code public before incorporating it into a business application.
xacc.ide
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((λ (x) `(,x ',x)) '(λ (x) `(,x ',x))) The Scheme Programming Language – Fourth Editionleppie wrote:
If he did, I rewrote it (as I said), it is the rewritten code that is an exact copy of the code I wrote.
Oh, hang on. So it's originally his code. But you re-wrote it, and now it's your code that he has published online? He is definitely in the wrong then.
Simon
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I prefer to think of it as a "negotiable pension plan".
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
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When I left my last job, my boss asked me to do him a favor and take a copy of all projects I had worked on with me. Just in case there was some trouble and they had to call me for help. This may sound strange, but it was a company full of SAP consultants and I made various .Net applications which got their data out of SAP. Finding bugs would have been difficult or expensive after I left. And I guess my old boss also trusted me a bit.
A while ago he asked me what he should have printed on my business cards. I said 'Wizard'. I read books which nobody else understand. Then I do something which nobody understands. After that the computer does something which nobody understands. When asked, I say things about the results which nobody understand. But everybody expects miracles from me on a regular basis. Looks to me like the classical definition of a wizard.
CDP1802 wrote:
call me for help.
...for a fee ;)
Simon
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leppie wrote:
If he did, I rewrote it (as I said), it is the rewritten code that is an exact copy of the code I wrote.
Oh, hang on. So it's originally his code. But you re-wrote it, and now it's your code that he has published online? He is definitely in the wrong then.
Simon
Simon P Stevens wrote:
But you re-wrote it, and now it's your code that he has published online?
Yes, but not published online, but part of a Silverlight frontend (that I took the duty of poking around with Reflector) for the new company he 'works' for. Apparently this application won an international award, or at least he is trying to take credit for it.
xacc.ide
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I think that is the basic requirement which every company should take care or pay the price for it.
rahul
Following your argument to a conclusion; as long as I can get it out of your house, it's OK for me to steal all your stuff and the police shouldn't bother investigating because it's your fault for having a rubbish deterrent in place. Fine - just post your address please and I'll be round later with a van.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
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Following your argument to a conclusion; as long as I can get it out of your house, it's OK for me to steal all your stuff and the police shouldn't bother investigating because it's your fault for having a rubbish deterrent in place. Fine - just post your address please and I'll be round later with a van.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
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thatraja wrote:
If he is still your friend
He never was. I detected his BS a week after I started (and almost quit then too).
xacc.ide
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((λ (x) `(,x ',x)) '(λ (x) `(,x ',x))) The Scheme Programming Language – Fourth Editionleppie wrote:
I detected his BS a week after I started
Just hate people who BS.
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leppie wrote:
If he did, I rewrote it (as I said), it is the rewritten code that is an exact copy of the code I wrote.
Oh, hang on. So it's originally his code. But you re-wrote it, and now it's your code that he has published online? He is definitely in the wrong then.
Simon
Simon P Stevens wrote:
So it's originally his code.
That was written on company time (the company I am working for). IIRC it took him a jolly long time for something so trivial. It took me a morning to rewrite it from scratch after he spent 2 - 3 weeks on it already.
xacc.ide
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Of course. I need never buy anything again.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
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The person in question, was asked to leave. He was clueless when I got there, and clueless when he left.
xacc.ide
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((λ (x) `(,x ',x)) '(λ (x) `(,x ',x))) The Scheme Programming Language – Fourth EditionYes, its the reverse situation. I suppose, I would simply report him. As the boss, I would not persue this too far because he stole nothing really substancial. But I would do enough to cause some sleepless nights and teach him a lesson. Ironically I had a similar situation in military service. Somebody I knew never went on guard duty without a modest supply of beer cans. And when I earned some more stripes and got to run the whole guard show for the first time - guess who was also on duty. So what should I have done? Reported him? Blackmailed him? Looked away?
A while ago he asked me what he should have printed on my business cards. I said 'Wizard'. I read books which nobody else understand. Then I do something which nobody understands. After that the computer does something which nobody understands. When asked, I say things about the results which nobody understand. But everybody expects miracles from me on a regular basis. Looks to me like the classical definition of a wizard.
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leppie wrote:
I detected his BS a week after I started
Just hate people who BS.
Yeah. He claimed to have had the entire season of some TV series (before it even aired anywhere in the world).
xacc.ide
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Does it have some huge speakers in it? ;P
xacc.ide
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Simon P Stevens wrote:
But you re-wrote it, and now it's your code that he has published online?
Yes, but not published online, but part of a Silverlight frontend (that I took the duty of poking around with Reflector) for the new company he 'works' for. Apparently this application won an international award, or at least he is trying to take credit for it.
xacc.ide
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((λ (x) `(,x ',x)) '(λ (x) `(,x ',x))) The Scheme Programming Language – Fourth EditionHis name's not Neville is it? I had a problem with a contractor in the past doing precisely this - it took some very nasty legal letters to the company in question to get the situation resolved. Bottom line - if the code is from your codebase the simplistic position is that the IPR belongs to you (the company). There are exceptions of course, but this doesn't sound like it falls into any of those categories. As your employer, I would expect to be notified that you knew there was a flagrant breach of copyright and ownership in place so that I could determine the appropriate action to take.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
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Yes, its the reverse situation. I suppose, I would simply report him. As the boss, I would not persue this too far because he stole nothing really substancial. But I would do enough to cause some sleepless nights and teach him a lesson. Ironically I had a similar situation in military service. Somebody I knew never went on guard duty without a modest supply of beer cans. And when I earned some more stripes and got to run the whole guard show for the first time - guess who was also on duty. So what should I have done? Reported him? Blackmailed him? Looked away?
A while ago he asked me what he should have printed on my business cards. I said 'Wizard'. I read books which nobody else understand. Then I do something which nobody understands. After that the computer does something which nobody understands. When asked, I say things about the results which nobody understand. But everybody expects miracles from me on a regular basis. Looks to me like the classical definition of a wizard.
CDP1802 wrote:
But I would do enough to cause some sleepless nights and teach him a lesson.
That would be ideal. But the how part is a bit non-trivial. I wonder where I can get a 'Cease and desist order' template? ;P
xacc.ide
IronScheme - 1.0 RC 1 - out now!
((λ (x) `(,x ',x)) '(λ (x) `(,x ',x))) The Scheme Programming Language – Fourth Edition -
His name's not Neville is it? I had a problem with a contractor in the past doing precisely this - it took some very nasty legal letters to the company in question to get the situation resolved. Bottom line - if the code is from your codebase the simplistic position is that the IPR belongs to you (the company). There are exceptions of course, but this doesn't sound like it falls into any of those categories. As your employer, I would expect to be notified that you knew there was a flagrant breach of copyright and ownership in place so that I could determine the appropriate action to take.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
Pete O'Hanlon wrote:
His name's not Neville is it?
Nope, else we could have had some good fun ;P
xacc.ide
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If you found out a ex-coworker took/stole some code from the company I still work for? (I always suspected this would happen, and now found a Silverlight app he claimed to have developed, obviously I had to look ;P ) While the section of code is trivial, the only thing he bothered to change was the namespace. The rest is pretty much identical, except for it going with EF vs Linq2SQL. - Should I report it? - Should I keep it with me as a possible future bargaining/blackmailing tool? - Should I send him an invoice for the time he wasted in my company* when he originally developed the piece of code*? - Do nothing - Blackmail him? * The one I am still working for. * I had to rewrite the whole thing anyways, as it was crap. The stolen code was what I wrote, in fact.
xacc.ide
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((λ (x) `(,x ',x)) '(λ (x) `(,x ',x))) The Scheme Programming Language – Fourth EditionIt's a simple question to answer. The responsibility for seeking redress is not yours, it is the company who owns the code (see my answer further down for caveats), so the problem is not yours to solve. The problem needs to be solved higher up by somebody who is authorised to perform actions such as initiate legal proceedings. This means that, as you are aware there is a problem, you are responsible for making the people who are authorised to perform this action aware that there is a problem - using whatever reporting mechanisms are in place in the company.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
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Does it have some huge speakers in it? ;P
xacc.ide
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((λ (x) `(,x ',x)) '(λ (x) `(,x ',x))) The Scheme Programming Language – Fourth Edition17" baby.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
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It's a simple question to answer. The responsibility for seeking redress is not yours, it is the company who owns the code (see my answer further down for caveats), so the problem is not yours to solve. The problem needs to be solved higher up by somebody who is authorised to perform actions such as initiate legal proceedings. This means that, as you are aware there is a problem, you are responsible for making the people who are authorised to perform this action aware that there is a problem - using whatever reporting mechanisms are in place in the company.
I have CDO, it's OCD with the letters in the right order; just as they ruddy well should be
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
Thanks, this seems to be the consensus among my peers (here on CP) :) Obviously, I dont want anything to do with it after I reported it. I have too much work on my plate currently to worry other people's lack of ethics.
xacc.ide
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CDP1802 wrote:
But I would do enough to cause some sleepless nights and teach him a lesson.
That would be ideal. But the how part is a bit non-trivial. I wonder where I can get a 'Cease and desist order' template? ;P
xacc.ide
IronScheme - 1.0 RC 1 - out now!
((λ (x) `(,x ',x)) '(λ (x) `(,x ',x))) The Scheme Programming Language – Fourth EditionAs the boss I would simply call my lawyer and ask him to write a letter or two.
A while ago he asked me what he should have printed on my business cards. I said 'Wizard'. I read books which nobody else understand. Then I do something which nobody understands. After that the computer does something which nobody understands. When asked, I say things about the results which nobody understand. But everybody expects miracles from me on a regular basis. Looks to me like the classical definition of a wizard.