It's a turrible day. Just turrible!
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It's probably worth noting that 1/3 of the management that were making those decisions are no longer employed with the company. Not because of those decisions, they left on their own regard for other reasons.
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@Dashrender said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@BBigford said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
Either OpenFire or RocketChat would have worked out great. Way better than SfB in fact.
do you only need a chat client?
OK I see what you're saying here. yeah a customer of mine a long time ago was illegally using Office. I told them that they had to buy 10+ copies of Office or my company would no longer support them. I'm sure they read between the lines that an audit would be coming too. They quickly, though complainingly, pulled out the checkbook.
See I just couldn't allow that to happen. I have pirated software when I was younger and dumber. I guess as you get older you get a little more ethical and think of the repercussions... Would it really be worth it if you got hit with an enormous fine? No, probably not. It could drive someone into financial issues, and with kids that is just dumb (I don't have kids though).
If someone else wants to pirate software, go for it, do it at your own risk, and not on my network. If my work decides to run pirated software, they would run the risk of getting audited, and shut down if the fines got high enough. It wouldn't be the first time I or anyone in my department has saw Microsoft come in and say during an audit "Ok so we're going to start this fine off at $XM because of these issues, and by the end of it we're going to own your company." Saw quite a few places go under because of deliberate licensing infractions.
If I'm investing my time, effort, and future into a company who deliberately takes those actions and jeopardizes my future... then I'm moving on down the road with my finger in the air. I have zero tolerance and zero respect for those kinds of operations.
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I just don't understand companies... For some reason it's OK for you to steal someone else's intellectual property.. but by god, no one better steal from you...
I had a friend who worked for a place like that. He was hired on before he learned that. They wanted him to steal the latest version of Lotus Domino, he refused, they really needed it so they did break down and buy it. From that point on, they started looking for his replacement and he was fired 6 weeks later.
What's worse.. they were a neighborhood building company with their own home plans. They traveled as far as 8 hours away to look at new construction and sued people where were using plans that were to close to theirs.
Less than a year after my friend lost his job, the own committed suicide and it was discovered that he was getting double and triple building loans to cover new construction. He somehow ended up running some kind of ponzi scheme. The company lasted less than two weeks after his death.
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@Dashrender said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
I just don't understand companies... For some reason it's OK for you to steal someone else's intellectual property.. but by god, no one better steal from you...
I had a friend who worked for a place like that. He was hired on before he learned that. They wanted him to steal the latest version of Lotus Domino, he refused, they really needed it so they did break down and buy it. From that point on, they started looking for his replacement and he was fired 6 weeks later.
What's worse.. they were a neighborhood building company with their own home plans. They traveled as far as 8 hours away to look at new construction and sued people where were using plans that were to close to theirs.
Less than a year after my friend lost his job, the own committed suicide and it was discovered that he was getting double and triple building loans to cover new construction. He somehow ended up running some kind of ponzi scheme. The company lasted less than two weeks after his death.
Wow, that is terrible.
... You said "the own committed suicide" I'm guessing you meant owner.About the ponzi scheme, I guess I can't say I'm surprised. The scheme is only as good as the schemer, so if the person conducting the scheme passes away, than the entire process comes to a grinding hault.
The inevitable was still coming, good that your friend was fired right away rather than lasting a few years longer then going under with the company. I'm guessing your friend is better off now in a better job than having been freshly unemployed after the downward spiral of the company?
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@Dashrender said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
I just don't understand companies... For some reason it's OK for you to steal someone else's intellectual property.. but by god, no one better steal from you...
I had a friend who worked for a place like that. He was hired on before he learned that. They wanted him to steal the latest version of Lotus Domino, he refused, they really needed it so they did break down and buy it. From that point on, they started looking for his replacement and he was fired 6 weeks later.
What's worse.. they were a neighborhood building company with their own home plans. They traveled as far as 8 hours away to look at new construction and sued people where were using plans that were to close to theirs.
Less than a year after my friend lost his job, the own committed suicide and it was discovered that he was getting double and triple building loans to cover new construction. He somehow ended up running some kind of ponzi scheme. The company lasted less than two weeks after his death.
If you look back on the end of your story, and even the very basics such as "they steal software, and they travel hours to sue people who have the same housing format". Those two things tell me one thing... they are desperate to have every dollar in their pocket. Very desperate. Which would indicate they were barely scraping by for a long period of time, probably even from the beginning... unethically pulling every dollar inward that they could.
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What's really odd about companies that INSIST on stealing software is that if you look at any product, with the right talent you can put together the same software that is probably free and open source. With every paid solution, there is a developing entity out there that is thinking "I want that software but it's too expensive. How can I do the same thing but charge a fraction or better yet, make it free?"... An example, CentOS vs. RHEL.
Those same companies that steal think it is just cheaper and easier to steal. Ironically, it isn't. If you factor in all the legal proceedings from getting hit by an audit, it is neither easier nor cheaper in the end.
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You're forgetting something though.. they don't care about getting sued. If they are already almost that broke, then they have so little to actually loose that being sued really doesn't matter to them.
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@BBigford said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@Dashrender said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@BBigford said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@Dashrender said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
Migrated away from what?
I cannot legally discuss that part...
can you discuss why you can't discuss it?
It would put the company I work for in a bad spot should someone run across this thread.
So he can discuss why he can't discuss why he can't discuss it
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@Dashrender said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
I had a friend who worked for a place like that. He was hired on before he learned that. They wanted him to steal the latest version of Lotus Domino, he refused, they really needed it so they did break down and buy it. From that point on, they started looking for his replacement and he was fired 6 weeks later.
Hopefully he documented and reported to the attorney general's office. You cannot fire someone for refusing to commit theft. It's both illegal in the first place and then illegal again.
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@BBigford said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
If you look back on the end of your story, and even the very basics such as "they steal software, and they travel hours to sue people who have the same housing format". Those two things tell me one thing... they are desperate to have every dollar in their pocket. Very desperate. Which would indicate they were barely scraping by for a long period of time, probably even from the beginning... unethically pulling every dollar inward that they could.
Also tells me that they had no other means to make money. Companies that are actually profitable and functional don't have the time and resources to waste on those kinds of risks. If you have a solid business plan that can make you good money, you don't take silly risks on stealing software or reckless court cases because either one can easily blow up in your face and take your company down. You only do these things when you have nothing to lose.
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@BBigford said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
What's really odd about companies that INSIST on stealing software is that if you look at any product, with the right talent you can put together the same software that is probably free and open source. With every paid solution, there is a developing entity out there that is thinking "I want that software but it's too expensive. How can I do the same thing but charge a fraction or better yet, make it free?"... An example, CentOS vs. RHEL.
Oh yes, it's actually a deep seeded evilness, not a desperation or other reason. I've never seen a company steal anything that had to, they just wanted to!
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@Dashrender said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
You're forgetting something though.. they don't care about getting sued. If they are already almost that broke, then they have so little to actually loose that being sued really doesn't matter to them.
Yup, once you are running on pure risk, you'll do anything. You might as well keep upping the ante because there is no additional risk, more or less.
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@scottalanmiller said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@Dashrender said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
You're forgetting something though.. they don't care about getting sued. If they are already almost that broke, then they have so little to actually loose that being sued really doesn't matter to them.
Yup, once you are running on pure risk, you'll do anything. You might as well keep upping the ante because there is no additional risk, more or less.
LOL it's like how more gun laws don't really help make us any safer
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@scottalanmiller said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@Dashrender said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
I had a friend who worked for a place like that. He was hired on before he learned that. They wanted him to steal the latest version of Lotus Domino, he refused, they really needed it so they did break down and buy it. From that point on, they started looking for his replacement and he was fired 6 weeks later.
Hopefully he documented and reported to the attorney general's office. You cannot fire someone for refusing to commit theft. It's both illegal in the first place and then illegal again.
It sure would make the company BBQ really awkward if he still worked there...
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@scottalanmiller said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@BBigford said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
What's really odd about companies that INSIST on stealing software is that if you look at any product, with the right talent you can put together the same software that is probably free and open source. With every paid solution, there is a developing entity out there that is thinking "I want that software but it's too expensive. How can I do the same thing but charge a fraction or better yet, make it free?"... An example, CentOS vs. RHEL.
Oh yes, it's actually a deep seeded evilness, not a desperation or other reason. I've never seen a company steal anything that had to, they just wanted to!
I'm always amazed at the people that complain about how "corrupt" large corporations are, but you can pretty much throw a stone in any direction and hit a small/micro business that pirates software.
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@johnhooks said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@scottalanmiller said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@BBigford said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
What's really odd about companies that INSIST on stealing software is that if you look at any product, with the right talent you can put together the same software that is probably free and open source. With every paid solution, there is a developing entity out there that is thinking "I want that software but it's too expensive. How can I do the same thing but charge a fraction or better yet, make it free?"... An example, CentOS vs. RHEL.
Oh yes, it's actually a deep seeded evilness, not a desperation or other reason. I've never seen a company steal anything that had to, they just wanted to!
I'm always amazed at the people that complain about how "corrupt" large corporations are, but you can pretty much throw a stone in any direction and hit a small/micro business that pirates software.
Yep... oh you mean we can steal it?
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@johnhooks said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@scottalanmiller said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@BBigford said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
What's really odd about companies that INSIST on stealing software is that if you look at any product, with the right talent you can put together the same software that is probably free and open source. With every paid solution, there is a developing entity out there that is thinking "I want that software but it's too expensive. How can I do the same thing but charge a fraction or better yet, make it free?"... An example, CentOS vs. RHEL.
Oh yes, it's actually a deep seeded evilness, not a desperation or other reason. I've never seen a company steal anything that had to, they just wanted to!
I'm always amazed at the people that complain about how "corrupt" large corporations are, but you can pretty much throw a stone in any direction and hit a small/micro business that pirates software.
It's true. Few things out there are as openly corrupt as the SMB market. We even have laws that make them fully legally allowed to discriminate on any basis that they want, not provide health care, not even hit minimum wage, treat people like slaves and not do any of the things that are so much worse than what big companies get lambasted for. It's ridiculous.
We loved when Walmart came to down and killed the small businesses. Suddenly people went from "starving and living on food stamps" to "entry level at Walmart and jumping for joy." Walmart might suck, but they were so much better than every local competitor.
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@BBigford said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@scottalanmiller said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@Dashrender said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
I had a friend who worked for a place like that. He was hired on before he learned that. They wanted him to steal the latest version of Lotus Domino, he refused, they really needed it so they did break down and buy it. From that point on, they started looking for his replacement and he was fired 6 weeks later.
Hopefully he documented and reported to the attorney general's office. You cannot fire someone for refusing to commit theft. It's both illegal in the first place and then illegal again.
It sure would make the company BBQ really awkward if he still worked there...
That's part of the fun.
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@scottalanmiller said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@johnhooks said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@scottalanmiller said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@BBigford said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
What's really odd about companies that INSIST on stealing software is that if you look at any product, with the right talent you can put together the same software that is probably free and open source. With every paid solution, there is a developing entity out there that is thinking "I want that software but it's too expensive. How can I do the same thing but charge a fraction or better yet, make it free?"... An example, CentOS vs. RHEL.
Oh yes, it's actually a deep seeded evilness, not a desperation or other reason. I've never seen a company steal anything that had to, they just wanted to!
I'm always amazed at the people that complain about how "corrupt" large corporations are, but you can pretty much throw a stone in any direction and hit a small/micro business that pirates software.
It's true. Few things out there are as openly corrupt as the SMB market. We even have laws that make them fully legally allowed to discriminate on any basis that they want, not provide health care, not even hit minimum wage, treat people like slaves and not do any of the things that are so much worse than what big companies get lambasted for. It's ridiculous.
We loved when Walmart came to down and killed the small businesses. Suddenly people went from "starving and living on food stamps" to "entry level at Walmart and jumping for joy." Walmart might suck, but they were so much better than every local competitor.
Ya we had a WalMart in my home town but it wasn't a Super WalMart. They made the announcement in like 2010 that it was going to switch to a Super WalMart and all of the little grocery stores near it flipped out. They tried to stop it, but it didn't work. Come to find out, the guy that ran one of the stores was in some kind of drug dealing (I don't remember how that came to light, but it was from him needing to sell the building or something). And now you can get food for much cheaper, and purchase things you actually want.
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@scottalanmiller said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
@DustinB3403 said in It's a turrible day. Just turrible!:
Yeah it's not the greatest tool out there, but the integration with Outlook is pretty awesome. Plus if you have businesses you deal with that use it you can incorporation the SfB systems so you can message across domains.
We never found anyone that would do that and the functionality was so poor that we gave up on it.
Plus that can be a liability to the business. iMs aren't logged at most company's, emails usually are.
