Here's the thread I posted a couple of days ago. Person#2 didn't like it. This is the same person that ridiculed my y2k stance (that it could turn out to be ugly, but not the end of the world). I shouldn't have fixed the problem, but I had to or else look for another job. This is the same person that came down and snickered and stated to me after the rollover "The world did not end."

I never said it would. I had some serious concerns and justified now knowing that a spy satellite went down for 3 days. An enemy could have tried something. In this respect we got lucky. I don't find this a laughing matter. But uninformed people have a tendency to classify you as a crackpot if you think there's a problem.

I just find it odd that I was suppose to endure ridicule, over a problem that was serious for me (as I had to fix this thing) and certainly no laughing matter. Yet when something does happen that is y2k related, suddenly it's not funny anymore when it affects them. Person#2 told me that they were offended by my letter. I wonder why? As if I haven't been offended by being classified as an "end of the world freak." I told Person#2 that I didn't care, I've been offended and had to endure ridicule for 3 years over this y2k thing. I think it's only fair to ridicule back. Person#2 then had no response. Just wanted to know if the program would now work.

How ungrateful people are. Programmers have done miraculous and unprecedented job. This wasn't our fault. We were told to use 2 digits for the date to save money. But we've had to go back and fix something that would have been serious if left unremediated. What thanks do we get? No thanks. I wonder if this is why some programmers write viruses. Hmmm.....

-- Larry (cobol.programmer@usa.net), January 14, 2000

Answers

Larry, I love ya ...man!!

-- (I'm@pol.ly), January 14, 2000.

Hey, show some proper respect, young man! Person#2 probably had to kiss a lot of a$$ to get that job! (Good thing your boss has a sense of humor...)

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), January 14, 2000.

Larry,

I would like to say thank you to you and all the programmers for their hard work. The blame game is as old as the cave man days...something about the human nature...likes to blame others for problems. Psychologists have studies this phenomenon for years. In fact, it has become a basis for Psycological warfare.

So, my advice is this: Don't beat yourself up. I think it was George Bernard Shaw who said something like...(I'm paraphrasing), "No good deed will go unpunished." (Maybe somebody remembers the exact quote...hmmm...where's Ladylogic when you need her.)

Listen, if you have done your job to the best of your ability, that is all that matters. And many jobs are performed behind the scenes and these folks never get the credit they deserve because nobody even knows what they do. Trust me on this one Larry.

I do think it is good to let your feelings out about this instead of holding it in...at least...that's what they say, and I have found it's not such a bad thing.

Cheer up mate...you always have us! =)

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), January 14, 2000.

---I posted a rather emotional request, before rollover, begging for the end of the corporate "code of silence", that code that apparently dictates that reality in a company CAN'T be reported, but a "spin" can, else you'll lose your job, get blackballed, sued, etc, etc. As long as everyone is AFRAID to speak the truth, the truth will not be spoken of.

We've seen many examples of where someone had had enough, and went public, and was crucified initally. the main problem is that there's not too many folks willing to buck the system and speak outl, either in the private or public sector. We as a people, as INDIVIDUALS, allow this to happen, so "we" collectively get those results.

Everyone works hard at their jobs, everyone has done long hours, considered themselves underpaid, and had bosses who wouldn't listen to reality--the old "shoot the messenger" syndrome. Until we ALL are messengers, it will continue to happen. It's SO EASY to "let the other guy do it, I've got<--your choice of something here-->, to protect."

What goes around comes around, we're all guilty of it. Corporate whistleblowers get blackballed, government whistleblowers get persecuted by other governmental agencies, or even killed, sometimes.

It sucks, bigtime, and we all suffer for it.

-- zog (zzoggy@yahoo.com), January 14, 2000.

Found this on Phil G's 'careers' page, it seemed appropriate:

Java Monkeys Stammbach, Eduard. (1988). "Group responses to specially skilled individuals in a Macaca fascicularis." Behaviour, 107 (December 1988), 241-266

Does the staggering wealth of particular engineers and programmers mean that there is any chance for nerds to rise socially?

Stammbach worked with a colony of longtailed macaques. In the paper cited above, the running header is "Responses to Specially Skilled Java Monkeys." Stammbach took the lowest-ranking macaque out of the society and taught him to operate a complex machine and obtain food. When the nerd monkey was reintroduced to the society, the higher ranking macaques stopped kicking him out of the way long enough for him to complete operation of the machine and obtain food for the community. I.e., society cooperated to create the conditions under which the nerd could toil for them. However, the monkey who acquired these special skills and provided for the society did not achieve any rise in his dominance status.

We'll never be appreciated... *wry grin*

-- mark (anvilmark@yahoo.com), January 14, 2000.

Larry, haven't laughed that hard since pre-rollover, thanks! Wish I worked with a staff with humor, that was really priceless! I'm tearing from laughing so hard!

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 14, 2000.

PS, I would have at least required Person #2 to sign an "I'm an idiot and Larry is a genious" statement before I even BEGAN to fix! He would then collect as many sets of ears in the office as possible to listen to him read it out loud, or at least post it over the water cooler!

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 14, 2000.