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A programmer automated their data-entry job. Now: tell their employer?

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Re: A programmer automated their data-entry job. Now: tell their employer?

#11

Post by revmoo »

partisan wrote: post #4

When I automated the documentation of nightly job processes using Tivoli Maestro configuration files and Visio, my employer didn't know what to do with me so they promoted me. It never crossed my mind not to say something. I wasn't there to produce output. I was there to bring value to the organization. At another employer, I worked alongside a customer service rep who automated much of the time consuming work he had…

> they locked down the workstations so it wouldn't happen again.

Is this the corporate equivalent of stepping on a rake?

Re: A programmer automated their data-entry job. Now: tell their employer?

#13

Post by austinshea »

patcheudor wrote: post #9
partisan wrote: post #4

When I automated the documentation of nightly job processes using Tivoli Maestro configuration files and Visio, my employer didn't know what to do with me so they promoted me. It never crossed my mind not to say something. I wasn't there to produce output. I was there to bring value to the organization. At another employer, I worked alongside a customer service rep who automated much of the time consuming work he had…

> Despite the annoyance of the security team and other developers who felt threatened by his work Depending on what he did the security team may have rightfully had issues with the work. I've seen it time and time again. Someone automates something, the tool gets released to users and it's full of SQLi, XSS, and RCE vulnerabilities, sometimes opening up a once protected data-set or systems to company or Internet wide…

> It's shadow IT/Dev work like this which tends to be responsible for the most security incidents.

Most security incidents? Sounds unsubstantiated.

Re: A programmer automated their data-entry job. Now: tell their employer?

#14

Post by Houshalter »

There's a story by Feynman where he automates some simple thing on his first job. It was some kind of telephone system, and he attached strings to the lines so he could see where the call was coming from in another room. And he got in trouble for it because his boss didn't understand it or appreciate it. The moral of the story was that people don't generally like innovation or change. Especially if it's just your time being saved and not theirs. If you can get away with it, don't tell your employer.

Re: A programmer automated their data-entry job. Now: tell their employer?

#20

Post by kirykl »

77pt77 wrote: post #16
kirykl wrote: post #7

"Your replacement won't understand" I've heard that over and over. So I say "No boss I didn't use VBA or JavaScript to generate these reports" It would get me fired.

What do you do?

Business analysis for a Fortune 500. I've been asked to write an SOP that any random person can understand if I want use VBA. Instead of writing a text book I just say it's done without it.
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