Blog-snooping corporations

[altivo]

A colleague at another library in our group posted some negative remarks to a personal blog, one that has no obvious connection with employer or personal name. The blogger mentioned the vendor we dislike, SirsiDynix, by name, but leetified the name to S!rs!Dyn!x and one of the obnoxious software products to W0rkFl0ws. The remarks were more directed against the management of the Big Messed-Up Consortium and their air-headed trainers than at the vendor itself.

However, within an hour or so a snippy e-mail reply was received from the vendor, implying that the blogger wasn't paying attention or was evidently too dumb to understand the product and should ask for help.

I maintain that this was entirely inappropriate on the part of the vendor. First of all, snooping around on the web like that suggests that they were looking for people to sue for saying negative stuff about them and/or looking for their own employees saying negative stuff so they could punish them. That's despicable in my opinion.

Secondly, although the blog in question is publicly readable, it does not invite comments from strangers particularly, and certainly not that sort of comment. At best, the vendor rep should have asked questions in order to better understand the situation before spouting off glib answers. This is a company that won't let you see the product documentation before you sign a contract. To me, that ought to queer any deal right out of existence.

Snowstorm aftermath in full swing here. The following high pressure center has arrived, the sky is clear, and the temperature is dropping like a stone. Down to 8°F. already, headed for -3°F. tonight they say.

Now I'm going to shut everything off to install a KVM switch so that I don't need extra keyboards and mice floating around my desk. If it works, I may be back.

Edit: It does work, though the PS/2 mouse I switched back to obviously needs cleaning.

Comments

[dakhun.livejournal.com]

install a KVM switch so that I don't need extra keyboards and mice floating around my desk

I do that, but my mouse is not fully functional unless plugged into the USB port. So I still have 2 mice.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I never use the scroll wheel or third button anyway, so I'm just as happy to unplug the USB mouse and use my old PS/2 style one.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

This is a company that won't let you see the product documentation before you sign a contract.

Oh, the corporate version of "Just trust me" and a pig in a poke. See icon for proper treatment of such. PR flacks seem not to get it: Good PR is built by having a product you aren't ashamed of. Harassing people who have to deal with your product and aren't happy about it makes (more) bad PR. Has SirsiDynix reached the point of qualifying itself for Chilling Effects?

--

I am amused by what the LJ spellchecker suggests when it encounters SirsiDynix, which is of course not in the LJ spellchecker's dictionary. First suggested replacement: Stinks.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

LJ's spelling checker almost has it right. The signature line floating around in our rebel group is "Sirsi Sux".

SirsiDynix is actually a reasonably acceptable product for what it is. The trouble is, my particular group of a dozen or so libraries was accustomed to something better: Innovative Millennium, which is a Cadillac compared to Sirsi's Chevy Metro. So we're not happy about being told (lied to, as it turns out) that we had to switch to this less capable product and we're not happy with the high-handed attitude of the Big Messed-Up Consortium administrators, who are after all actually employees of the member libraries collectively. After Thursday we'll know for sure whether our little subgroup actually has a viable escape route. Hooves crossed here.

SirsiDynix, already a result of mergers of several failing software houses, was in financial difficulties and sold itself to a holding corporation in November of last year. I don't think it a very good idea to become dependent on their products, especially since their development schedule is falling behind now.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Cadillac as in an overpriced, inefficient, overhyped symbol of overindulgence?

And Metro as in, efficient, nimble, versatile, reliable and cost effective?

I guess not XD

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Poo. I should know better than use car analogies with you around.

Ok, so Millennium is an Arabian war horse and WorkFlows is more of a burro. The first is elegant, fast, and gets you where or what you want more easily. The second will do the job, but is slow, reluctant, and clumsy about it.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Ehehehehehe :D

See the horsie analogy is far better :)

Although aren't Arabian war horses tempremental, more likely to trample you and will blindly follow a rider to death?

But the Burro is clever, better behaved and does much more than appears it could? After all the mule is the choice for pack animal :) Except in the desert then it's the camel :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Arabians are noted for their devotion to their human partners, yes.

And in a piece of software, I want something that does what I tell it to do, rather than saying "I can't do that, Dave" the way a burro is likely to put it.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

So the Arabian will allow you to bring the system down because it goes along with what you say, whereas the Burro will stop you XD

Sorry Pony I'm just feeling evil today.

*gives you some Oaty treats*

[tinbender.livejournal.com]

Besides the "Big Brother" mentality of that, what kind of idiotic vendors send that kind of email to their clients? Pretty arrogant. Pretty stupid.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm sure the writer thought he was being subtle about it and completely missed the implications of snooping around just to see what customers are saying. He also was suffering from that mentality that assumes anyone less than a director or board member is not a decision maker. It turns out that when we agree en masse we do have an effect.

[kamo2paws.livejournal.com]

From a VP standpoint I would fire any employee snooping the web and speaking to customers on a company behalf without pre-approved statements. I am sue if the company is worth anything the guy will get caught and in today's easily replaceable work force- fired.

As for the KVM, I run dual monitors and have yet to find a good dual monitor KVM. They make KVMs for 5 towers to 1 monitor but don't readily offer dual or more monitors for multiple towers.. And I was planning on a third monitor! Bleh. I work from home and at times have 10-12 open programs that all want to take up the spotlight. Dual has been useful although my companies VPN/ VPS does not know how to deal with the screen resolution of what it thinks is a super wide single monitor..

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Multiple monitors is what I was trying to get RID of. It sounds to me like what you need is an X server running that can display windows from multiple client machines all on a single multi-monitor desktop. Easy to do in Linux or any other UNIX clone, probably even Mac OSX, but not a concept that Windows takes to easily.

[kamo2paws.livejournal.com]

I use dual monitors for one tower.. more desktop space :P

[kakoukorakos.livejournal.com]

I had a commenter on my LJ several months ago, I was just commenting about two of the larger home inspection certification outfits. One is a bit snobby, exclusive, and expensive, a bit of a hassle to get into. The other one is a johnny-come-lately that saw a gap, and works with more entry-level folks and is a lot more affordable and less hassle to maintain a membership in. That poster was blasting the entry-level organization, and was clearly just trolling journals to put in a good word for the snobbish organization and disparage the other. He was very literate, almost certainly a corporate sort that I haven't seen before or since.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, whether in politics or business, I always have serious doubts about people who take an unevaluated and unalterable party line out of some false sense of loyalty or whatever it is.

Cat.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi there, Altivo. Tag, you're it (or in this case, I am)...

To clarify a bit, now that I've checked my sitemeter: apparently Software Vendor Guy has me in his RSS feeds. I'm not sure whether to be horrified or, well, gratified? Mostly, I'm gratified. And even more, amused. Welcome to my rather chaotic life, Mr. SirsiDynix Dude! All comments are appreciated, glad to be noticed, but you've had your turn now, so sit down like a good Canadian.

By the way, though I've got you RSS'd now, I found this post via Google's Blogsearch. ;-)

Re: Cat.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hi and welcome. If you expect to comment regularly, you might want to establish a free LJ account name. I'll add it to my friends list and your comments will appear immediately without requiring my intervention. ;p

On the other hand, it isn't essential. I unscreen stuff as soon as I find it, and I rarely post anything locked against the public or anonymous viewer.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I notice the word Vendor being used a lot in business matters in the US, I think we just say "supplier" here *ponders* I could be wrong.

I remember some VW dealer tried to sue someone for what they said on a forum, unfortunately for them he had documented every single interaction and problem he'd had with the dealer and successfully counter sued for a refund on his car and expenses. Ahhh I love that sort of thing.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

We use "supplier" as well. I tend to limit that to a seller of physical stuff, like office supplies. A "vendor" is a little more sophisticated and involved, usually custom software or computer hardware. Stuff that costs more and stays around. A "contractor" is even more expensive, and does things like remodeling the meeting room. ;p

[octatonic.livejournal.com]

While I like extreme cold those boys probably don't,
hope they is 'k.

As for blogs.

I'm /still/ trying to deal with the hip word.

A Web Log is an /online/ log. As opposed to
what you do in Notepad, or even better, with
a pen and a beer sitting under the living
room light.

I tend to think that everything I put online, even
if I make it "private" is saved somewhere and
eyed, either by the government (maybe) or some
hack from the corps (prolly).

Its still wrong. I think you should complain
about the invasion of privacy. Better yet,
complain on your blog. ^.^

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Privacy is a strange thing,

Friends put up a fence at the front of the house which looks horrible and when asked why they said "We don't like people looking in"
My answer "You really think people want to?"

But as you say it is kind of funny how those who kick up a fuss about privacy and yet put all their personal details on blogs for everyone to see XD

[octatonic.livejournal.com]

I think there is an /implied/ privacy, and
of course, thats /implied/ and should
be taken with a few pounds of salt.

As for me, I have nothing to hide, I...just...
don't...give...a...damn.

In the mid 90s I had this small argument
on Usenet with this guy that was yelling
about how "The government is taking over
the internet!"

Well duh! The government, DARPA to be
exact, /invented/ the internet!

Privacy is in the eye of the beholder, and
while it blows that there are abuses such
as the pony pointed out, we need to get
away from the idea that your anonymous
on the internet. Every keystroke you've
ever made into this system...is recorded
somewhere.

Probably Google and they will sell it to
Homeland Security and chant "Do no evil"

XD

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

It must be awfully boring working for Homeland security reviewing boring phone calls, emails and internet blogs, forums etc.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Indeed. And therein lies the greatest danger. Bored people start imagining things, and pretty soon they believe what they've imagined. Your e-mail to your cousin turns into a secret encoded message to some co-conspirator and soon they're ripping your house apart looking for imaginary clues.

This has already happened.