Office Work Ethic In the IT Industry? 709
An anonymous reader writes "As a recent graduate entering industry for the first time at a large software and hardware company, I have been shocked at what seems to be a low standard of work ethic and professionalism at my place of employment, especially in this poor economy. For example, at my company, the large majority of developers seem to each individually waste — no exaggeration — hours of time on the clock every day talking about football, making personal phone calls, gossiping, taking long lunches, or browsing the Internet (including, yes, Slashdot!). Even some of our subcontractors waste time in this manner. Being the 'new guy,' I get stuck with much of the weekend and after-hours grunt work when we inevitably miss deadlines or produce poor code. I'm not in any position to go around telling others to use their time more efficiently. Management seems to tolerate it. I would like to ask Slashdot what methods others have used to deal with office environments such as this. Is my situation unique or is it common across the industry?"
Peter.... how's it going? (Score:5, Funny)
Hopefully... (Score:4, Funny)
Hey, is that you Arun? (Score:5, Funny)
It's you, isn't it. You're the little douche bag who keeps bitching about us taking breaks. We actually have a pool going on how many times you'll say yes to extra hours before you crack. Hey, you got something brown on your nose.
Those mines aren't going to sweep themselves. (Score:5, Funny)
Glad you got that degree aren't you?
Be Positive! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:And people *still" wonder why m$ is dying (Score:1, Funny)
Re:People aren't robots (Score:5, Funny)
In reality I caught her more than once just staring out of the window, not really studying. For her that was part of "studying" but in reality it isn't.
I was taking second level "window studies" as a subsid to my sociology degree you insensitive clod.
Re:People aren't robots (Score:3, Funny)
What what what? (Score:5, Funny)
You sure you've chosen the right profession? Sounds to me like you want to be in management, you'll fit right in.
Subject (Score:5, Funny)
"I would like to ask Slashdot what methods others have used to deal with office environments such as this."
I usually dump my extra work on the new guy so I have more time to relax and goof off. You should pressure your company to hire someone newer than yourself.
Re:People aren't robots (Score:3, Funny)
He sounds like the kind of guy that shows up with a sawed-off shotgun one day and pulps the office.
Re:People aren't robots (Score:3, Funny)
That's fine, companies need to reduce headcount from time to time.
Re:Be Positive! (Score:4, Funny)
He works in IT. Those sorts of female officemates are kept far far away from him, and very near senior management for some reason.
Re:People aren't robots (Score:5, Funny)
You haven't helped raise children, have you? Oh, dear, if you want to see complex and buggy, try working with a 12 year old who usually lives with their mother.
Re:People aren't robots (Score:5, Funny)
Well, at least you can be a door-to-door window salesman. That's more than most sociology graduates.
Re:People aren't robots (Score:1, Funny)
At "05:37AM"??
FAIL.
Re:Peter.... how's it going? (Score:5, Funny)
That's why I'll take my signals at work from Thomas Anderson (Neo) rather than Peter. Remember when Neo gets that call from Morpheus that allows him to escape the cubicle farm? Peter Gibbons should have taken THAT call.
Come to think of it, can you imagine a mashup mix of "Office Space" and "The Matrix"...that would be awesome! Lumbergh could team up with Agent Smith. Lawrence (Peter's next door neighbor) could make inappropriate remarks about Trinity's boobs at various times to break the tension.... I'd pay money to see THAT movie over Avatar any day!
Re:Then maybe they're just no good (Score:1, Funny)
productivity means profit and profit means paychecks.
Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha
*deep breath*
ahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahahahahhha
Re:Reading /. != slacking (Score:3, Funny)
Working as a developer back in the 1900s
I knew the low UIDers here were generally old, but I didn't realise just how old...
Re:Hopefully... (Score:3, Funny)
Hopefully they will see this while browsing /. during work and straighten their ways.
I mean, that happens all the time, doesn't it?
Well, this anonymous Ask Slashdot could really be any office with any noob who's complaining that they're the new bitch.
So here's hoping that several hundred office noobs take shit for this article today.
Way to spread the wealth buddy!
Oblig. xkcd reference (Score:3, Funny)
http://xkcd.com/303/ [xkcd.com]
Re:People aren't robots (Score:5, Funny)
At "05:37AM"??
FAIL.
The earth is round and not all people live in the same place on it. As the earth rotates, the sun illuminates a little over half of it and generally people like to work and shop during this time. Society has quite simply divided this time up this into time zones so that 8am for one part of the planet is at a different actual instance as 8am for another part. So while it might be 5:37 where you are, it is working hours for someone else. Next time we meet, we can go over the metric system.
Re:Oblig XKCD (Score:5, Funny)
Re:People aren't robots (Score:5, Funny)
LOL @ twice as hard!
No disrespect to our non-western programming chums, I've worked with great programmers of a lot of different nationalities. The thing about outsourcing to the far east and india is that all the good people already left for the western economies where they get paid more.
Re:Peter.... how's it going? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:People aren't robots (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Hang Gliding while being paid to write code... (Score:3, Funny)
Hey Todd and John and Richard (Score:3, Funny)
You know, if you had a problem, you could have just turned your chair and talked to me, or IMed me, you did not have to post to Slashdot. Didn't think I would find out, did you? Go Cowboys!
Re:Peter.... how's it going? (Score:3, Funny)
Agent Lumbergh: "Mr Anderson...What's happening?"
That would be the stuff of nightmares... just imagine what it would be like if your boss at work could randomly possess anyone in the world and then come talk to you. You would never be able to get away.
Re:Hang Gliding while being paid to write code... (Score:3, Funny)
I know a lot of programmers that get screwed by management, but thats a little to much to ask for.
You haven't seen the new CCIE lab test (Score:2, Funny)