Monday, July 28, 2008

I Prefer The Term "Mercenary"

Sometimes at work I see stuff I shouldn't.
Sometimes it is my responsibility to report these things.
Sometimes I enjoy it.
More often, I'm just upset about it.
This morning I logged into a server to verify the user testing which has been going on since Friday morning. For the record, no one has tested anything. This is upsetting, sure, but not the most upsetting thing.
These servers were all lovingly hand-crafted by our Infrastructure Deployment Division using old-world craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology. Each server is an exact replica of every other server involved in The Project.
Each server is given to our high-priced out-sourced hourly consultants who install the application through a customized scripted installation filled with "awesome" before gently placing it into Test, Pilot of Production, as designated in advance on some spreadsheet somewhere.
All of them are wrong. Wait, not just all of them. Freaking all of them.
And our high-priced out-sourced hourly consultants are off-site this week for training and to (I suspect) giggle about all the money they are making off my company. I don't blame them for that. I have plenty of other stuff to blame them for.
So, when I log into each server (brand-freaking-new server) I get an error. This error tells me that a specific component installed is not configured correctly. The issue I have is that the component should not be installed at all.
So I asked about it.
As it turns out, the people who wrote the expensive script which installs the application, the same people off-site this week for training and giggling, the same people whose company bills this company over $200 per hour for each of them in exchange for expert configuration and migration services, are completely unaware that this component is installed by their script.
So far, I have not corrected their view of reality.
Okay. So what if we fix it?
Well, if we fix it then they fly into a "re-verification" process when they return which will set the project back a couple of (expensive) weeks.
If we tell them but don't fix it, the Investigation and Justification cycle starts when they get back, resulting in even longer delays and more expensive project hours, and a possible removal/re-verification process.
If we do nothing, our servers have unnecessary junk on them, are less efficient and secure, and will need to be corrected anyway once the consultants leave the state.
So.
What do I do?
Every molecule of my body is screaming at me to throw a giant, justified, hissy fit which will make everyone look as overpriced as they are, even though the project might be delayed.
But the tiny voice in my head is advising me to let it go and fix it later. And also to buy a handgun and a blender and some plastic tarps, but it always says that.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have missed a couple of posts. and I also will be sending emails to people who can't do proper math when weight is concerned :)
However I see nothing about Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog??? I could swear that was one starring in it

Anonymous said...

That was suppose to be "I could swear that was YOU starring in it."
Gotta put the crack pipe down