It's her!
IT security pilot fish detects an employee accessing pornographic Web sites and calls the user's manager -- it's cause for automatic termination at this company. As usual, fish prints out samples from the site so the manager knows the employee isn't being targeted unfairly. But there's no doubt when the manager sees the pictures: "Yup, that's her," he says. Sighs stunned fish, "The employee was posting pictures of herself on the Web site. So much for pleading, 'I went to this site in error.' "
Rat race
Our optical mice are controlling other users' computers, user tells pilot fish. That can't be, says fish, but user is adamant and finally suggests, "I guess we should have purchased the laser mice instead." Wait, asks fish, is there a wire attached to the mouse? No. Turns out the boss found a sale on wireless optical mice and bought them for five department admins who sit next to each other. Reports fish, "I changed the frequencies of the mice, and the users were very happy."
Shhhh!
Computer room has a water-seepage problem, so operations manager buys sensors to alert operators when there's water under the floor. "Unfortunately, the ops manager went with a cheap sensor," groans pilot fish there. "The only way anyone would know the alarm was going off was to remove the floor panel over the alarm."
Color bland
User calls help desk pilot fish to report that a color laser printer is out of red ink. "I grab a magenta toner, remove it from inventory and add it to the department's bill," says fish. "But when I arrive at the machine, it's the cyan toner that requires replacement. When I ask the user about this, she says, 'Yes, cayenne -- red, like the pepper.'"
Spice up Sharky's life. Send me your true tale of IT life at sharky@computerworld.com. You'll score a sharp Shark shirt if I use it. And check out Sharky's blog, browse the Sharkives and sign up for Shark Tank home delivery at computerworld.com/sharky.
Have a similar experience? Then add your comments to the daily Shark Tank blog!