Programming with
a dose of satire.
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Software Reality Guestbook |
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Earlier Messages From our previous life as Bad-Managers.com... The Messages: I have worked for
BodgeCo! (Only the names have been changed in order to protect the guilty.)
Hilarious! Yet strikes a chord. You should write a column. Alan Casey <al.casey@corenetworks.com> Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - 20:08:28 Wednesday 18 April 2001 No comment left Tom Parma <tjp@stratos.net> Lakewood, Ohio, USA - 18:35:15 Friday 09 March 2001 I just want to say that crap managers are everywhere. They are inescapable. Every job one goes to, they are forced to deal with the same bull#### over and over. This is especially true for the tech industry. I can't wait to give my hard-nosed bitch of a supervisor my notice :)! Then, I'll try not to start the cycle of crap over again. Peace to all. I pray you find the job situations you want. KT <Email address not supplied> Georgia, USA - 17:30:34 Tuesday 27 February 2001 Hi, I am Sarah! I luv u Matt! Sarah <Email address not supplied> Poopton, Mississippi, USA - 16:19:56 Sunday 31 December 2000 Nice site...have no idea how I came across it although I'm sure I was attempting to do some work! I've spent the last 8 yrs in a company that I've both been sacked from and have resigned from, that has had numerous managers, one too psychotic to allow the company to die, one too full of bullsh*t to allow others to believe the company was dying, and one too far away ( and financially fat ) to have bribed Satan himself not to allow this company's tortured soul to enter the afterlife. Everything rings true: maybe we were all bad managers ourselves in a previous life and this is our penance..... Nick <neuralnick@aol.com> Newcastle upon Tyne, Engerland - 12:02:14 Wednesday 20 December 2000 Hello, My name is Paul Clark and I am a BAD MANAGER, My forte is disgrimination, especially against ginger people. I don't realise I'm doing I just can't help it, PLEASE HELP ME before somebody realises I'm a bad manager. Paul Clark <Badman@crapmanager.com> The big smoke, Bad, UK - 14:52:00 Tuesday 19 December 2000 Hi Paul, I too was a bad manager, and unfortunately as the old saying goes 'You can't teach an ####e manager new interpersonal skills'. You like me will have to resign yourself to the fact you are crap, now and forever. You will always be crap. Sure, you'll have the odd day when you actually get throught the day without a major incidence of incompetence, but take it from me those are few and far between. Doug Roberts <nobman@crapmanager.com> Bristol, Bristol, UK - 15:35:11 Tuesday 19 December 2000 jim is crap jim <jim@jim.com> jim, jim, jim - 14:46:29 Tuesday 19 December 2000 Hello. I'm a crap manager from overseas. I think you have me and my friends wrong. We try our best to be top-class managers, but we just feel bad about it and have to resort to crap all the time. As to overrating our staff, what about R****e K***e and O*****o? Surely other people should take responsibility for that? Henderson Nebraska, Omaha, Spain - 20:18:41 Saturday 09 December 2000 No comment left The Hun <www.thehun.net> No town/city, No county/state, No country - 21:40:12 Sunday 03 December 2000 I THINK IT SUCKS YOU SHOULD KILL YOUR SELF OR I WILL IT'LL BE WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT IT'LL BE WHEN YOUR WALKING DOWN THE STREET AT NIGHT IN THE DARK WHEN YOU'RE ALL ALONE Dwayne Johnson <israelROD@prodigy.net> Pharr Hidalgo, Texas, United States Of America - 01:36:13 Sunday 03 December 2000 Love the site, keep up the good work. Obviously this kind of practice goes on in many different industries...including educational ones! Cairi Crawley <cairi@gta.net.au> Ballarat, Victoria, Australia - 05:41:55 Thursday 09 November 2000 I like it! :) Have very much the same problems here. Jurie <slangboer@yahoo.com> Johannesburg, No county/state, South Africa - 05:34:33 Wednesday 01 November 2000 As an 'ex-Dilbertian' with 20 years in the biotech industry (and am now in US Government service) I am delighted by your site. An anecdote: My last job was with a great little ag biotech company that was forced to find a CEO by the investors (who believed that no one within Montana much less the company, includung the founders, could run the company). So they hired a 'head hunter.' ALL the candidate CEO's had one trait in common: they took their previous companies under. Some did it quickly, others more slowly (the sadists?). But all had done their companies in. Two years after having fended off that fiasco (no one was hired) the investors hired a former VP of a ag chemical multinational. To run a company of 30 people... Needless to say he brought with him many big company traits as well as a complete lack of understanding what the biotech company was trying to do. Talk about fundamental cultural differences. That's why I finally threw in the industrial towel and joined Big Brother. Stefan Jaronski <bug@midrivers.com> Sidney, Montana, Montana - 05:48:49 Monday 07 August 2000 This site is absolutely brilliant. :) I started reading and just read right through, unintentionally! Excellent.... Nicki Nicki <pixiegirlnicki@aol.com> Los Angeles, California, USA - 18:16:27 Saturday 10 June 2000 I absolutely enjoyed your Web site. I've been writing several 'real-stories' of my own lately for a book I will probably never publish. The experiences you describe are not unique in any manner. I have worked in the high-tech field for over 30 years and have seen a lot of what you describe...and in many ways more. I was also touched by your comment on 'why you seek out such companies' and want to add my own reply. Many of us in the world just want to do a good job. And, no matter how good a company is, there are always problems that pop up and special characters working in some unit. For example, I've run into many 'Stinky' programmers in the past several years. One was so bad that my boss would actually 'clean' Stinky's keyboard for him...it would become intermittent if now turned upside down and allow the crumbs to fall out...ugh! Anyway kudos for a nice site and a very interesting and truthful topic. Tony Severa It was late last night that I drop in your site. It's so Great! As a manager of a small company, thanks for you help. talk to you later when i finished reading and keep on watching Yang Jun <yangjun@itrans.com.cn> Shanghai, China, No country - 02:04:41 Friday 14 April 2000 I love it. It sounds so familiar tho. My husband and I both worked for a large white elephant of a company. When it merged with a global company the amount of managers that left was phenominal. The workers now smile when they go to work the cubicle periscopes have gone and they have flexibilty in their work. The managers that still like to beat heads and run a corporate S&M parlour are finding life very difficult. The cattle have power at last. No name given <Email address not supplied> No town/city, No county/state, New Zealand - 12:25:23 Tuesday 11 April 2000 Top site - Totally hit the nail on the head and I am semi-convinced that all the stories are about companies I have worked for.... Richard Oliver <oliverr@innovation-group.co.uk> Portsmouth, Hants, UK - 16:48:39 Wednesday 29 March 2000 Well I am feeling bright and cheery after reading your web site.. All my problems pale into insignificance. You poor #######.. anthony <anthony.russo@rmit.edu.au> melb, vic, australia - 05:15:51 Monday 21 February 2000 Love this site. I am not 'Lucky' enough to be employed in the IT industry but my brother, father and husband-to-be are. I have, however been involved with a scientific/creative industry and would like to tell you that sometimes the same crap happens in other industries. Some of the stories that you've got here happened in my field of science (Life Sciences). I can recall being told fresh-out-of-university working for my company, after commenting that I could do much more for the company than make coffee and schlep documents around that 'I had no right to comment because it didn't matter if all I had to do was photocopy, staple and make coffee because its what the company needs, not what I want which is important.' Other things happened such as not getting a raise because I'd had one over the past few years (I was making well under $28K Cdn) with several years of experience and a four year degree, as well as having to take on much of the secretarial and administrative work, in addition to taking on two very demanding responsibilities in the company. I eventually had to leave that place because simply, I could not afford to stay there anymore. My car was getting old, my roommate moved out on me, and I couldnt make ends meet (even after a small raise) to stay working there. I think there should be some kind of awareness brought about 'workplace abuses' which in my opinion, this site, and many of my experiences illustrate. Just because you work for someone doesnt give them any more right to abuse you, take advantage of you, or create general misery in your life. Unfortunately, this happens all too often in many companies. At the current time I'm just hoping my husband-to-be doesn't go postal before he quits his third job (in three years). I apologize for my anonymity however you understand why its necessary sometimes. Jane Doe <abc@sympatico.ca> Anywhere, Anyprovince, Canada - 16:22:08 Wednesday 26 January 2000 Still going? This site seems to have more longevity than many Web companies? Better managed, perhaps? Simon Cooper <sico@cwcom.net> Ealing, London, UK - 09:02:17 Tuesday 11 January 2000 No comment left Roger <roger.nishimoto@pharma.novartis.com> No town/city, No county/state, No country - 02:29:55 Thursday 23 December 1999 So this is how you spend your days is it you old tart! As for Crapscape, they're still ticking along I think, I saw them last year at EC98 beleive it or not. Still got the Rover and improved the golf swing? Phil <na37@dial.pipex.com> Fleet, Hants, UK - 17:37:24 Monday 06 December 1999 Cool! Admin <admin@pieceofmymind.com> No town/city, No county/state, No country - 06:33:54 Thursday 11 November 1999 I laughed til I cried. I work for a company that develops software for banks & it's the best place on earth. I felt so sorry for everyone at 'CrapScrape.' I still can beat all these stories with my 9 year experience working with
deranged lawyers at private foundations. My book will be out soon! Love your website. Are there other websites where I can vote for the worst manager?? Terry <torontog@hotmail.com> No town/city, No county/state, No country - 21:13:40 Thursday 07 October 1999 Well after reading the flapsoft story i am not sure if i am going to go to school tommorow or for the next two years for that matter. I am in my second year of a 3 year programmer/analyst program and found this site while doing research for a papper on 'Disgruntled Employees'. Please email me to reasure me that the rest of my life will not be a living hell. P.S. I have a 4.0 gpa and am activley seeking a post graduation position. Keep me in mind if you have the inside scoope on anymore of these wonderful companies who may be hiring. LOL!!! By the way I hope you found a company with managers who give a #### about the input of their employees. Best of Luck, Jeff Hart Jeff Hart <jh@roadrunner.nf.net> St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada - 04:40:02 Thursday 23 September 1999 Dear people, Your site is *very* funny. I visit your page often. Keep up the good work. Josh Kamenetz joshua seth kamenetz <jkamenetz@hotmail.com> naharia, israel, israel - 22:48:37 Sunday 12 September 1999 I LOVED IT. HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE BAD MANAGEMENT WHEN YOU ARE THE BOSS'S ONLY EMPLOYEE, LEAVING YOU NO OPTIONS OTHER THAN DIRECT CONFRONTATION. Heather J. Hair <heathernmatt@mindspring.com > Wallace, South Carolina, USA - 22:09:56 Monday 06 September 1999 Love all this work-related cynicism! Jim Wilkerson <jw154@prism.gatech.edu> Atlanta, GA, USA - 00:26:03 Friday 13 August 1999 Hi Matt, Really enjoyed visiting your website. Jo Harris <joharris@islandnet.com> Victoria., British Columbia, Canada - 04:57:30 Wednesday 28 July 1999 I must applaud you on your site; it needs to be updated (I know that's mucho work) but has much to say about the software industry. I'm at my current job because I naively hope I can make a difference. I quit my last job--writing tax return software--because they wanted me to do some illegal stuff that would get me in trouble with the IRS (not nice people). The thing that's funny is that just about everything on your site can apply in one way or another about my current job. I've given your URL to a friend at work--the only other experienced programmer at the company. Did I neglect to mention that where I work makes air traffic control systems? We're the world's largest manufacturer of such. If you want to hear some
real frightening horror stories, get in touch on email. I could fill a book (as could everyone else who writes to you, I'm sure).
What bothers me the most is that no one seems bothered that all our software is unreliable crap, to say nothing of our hardware.
If anyone at work found out about this I would probably get in a lot of trouble, but they aren't web-savvy enough (can't do a
search) to find this site. Page 4 (probably the most contentious set!) << Back to the Latest Guestbook Messages Want to write an article for Software Reality? Please send me an . |
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