And people wonder why we lock the software up.

[kyrielle]

No, seriously. We have most of our install CDs in a locked drawer and people have to ask for them. Our bug-tracking software was recently updated and everyone needs the CD.

And I can't give it to them. I handed the CD to N., who asked first, anticipating getting it back so I could pass it on to C, then A, and so on in the order they ask. Well, N gave it to C who gave it to J who gave it to E who is not in the office and I have sent email asking where the CD is to E.

A still hasn't got it. He asked me for it again this morning and I had to tell him I neither have it nor know where it is at this point. I'm about ready to give up. I have not installed it either. There's a network install. I'll probably just use that myself, even though it's so slow it ties your machine up for an hour or so from up here. Because this is ridiculous. The main install is not that bad but we cannot keep track of where a CD is?

Heaven forbid they did this with some CD that we can't do a network install for.

And if one more person asks me for a CD I haven't had in my hands since the email came out telling us to start the installs at almost exactly this time yesterday, and haven't seen since two or three hours after that....

Comments

[pelogrande.livejournal.com]

How about you keep the software locked up and have a burned copy to give out? You'd still expect to get it back, but vanishing would be no big loss.

Of course, this gives you the situation where people decide it's ok to take it home and keep it because you can just make another.

[kyrielle]

We do that with our most critical CDs, but as you noted, it has downsides. The big one is having to burn a lot of CDs. The time investment is a pain in the ass. The only reason we do it with the critical CDs is that we _DO_ actually have some originals. We can't afford to lose them.

This software went out to all the offices. The copy is made by corporate. If they totally lose the disk, I could email and get another one shipped up. It's also available on the intranet. (But, it takes 5 minutes to install from CD. It clocks in at 3-4 hours on the intranet, since our connection's not that hot and the share is in another STATE....)

So it's not like the actual software could be lost. The problem is, _EVERY_ single person in the office (almost, not quite) needed to install it. And instead of following the rules, they were just handing it off to whoever they felt like, so I couldn't track who still needed it or even where the fucker was.

Re:

[pelogrande.livejournal.com]

Those bastards.