Re: Straw lighthearted poll ...

Nuno Souto wrote:
>
> "Telemachus" <telemachus_at_ulysseswillreturn.net> wrote in message news:<ofPta.12039$pK2.15788_at_news.indigo.ie>...
>
> > Which is easier when on-site (for those of you who consult/contract) ?
> >
> > 1: Get the sys or root password for the production system /instance
> > 2: Car parking in the corporate car park
> >
> >
> > IMHE 1 is far easier by orders of magnitude.
>
> Yup. In fact with a little bit of gentle persuasion
> (read: liberal application of brewed liquids), you can usually
> get the combination for the safe where the root pwd is kept.
> Together with other things, like modem numbers and matchstick-wall
> pwds and addresses.
>
> And don't forget to try the pwd three years down the line:
> it will STILL be the SAME...
>
> Nothing really illustrates better the TOTAL incompetence
> of modern middle "management" than the above. In fact, most
> will be so surprised those things are kept in a safe, they'll
> start looking at replacing it with another copy of Windoze
> to "reduce the TCO".
>
> Cheers
> Nuno Souto
> wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam

True story:

I was the technical rep at an interview for a new sys admin. My HR partner in the interview was asking those "behavioural assessment" questions, even though before the candidate had arrived I had been heaping sarcasm on the HR guy along the lines of "any idiot can see through those questions and respond appropriately". Anyway:

HR to candidate: "Tell me about a time you have overcome personal adversity" (I stifle a groan)

Candidate: "Well, there was this one time when I was not allowed access to the computer room where the passwords were kept, and I needed admin rights to..." (can't remember what) "...So I waited until someone else went in, noted down the combination, and after everyone had gone home, I snuck in and gave myself all the admin rights I needed" (self-satisfied grin)

Me: (stunned silence, mouth wide open)

After the interview, I had to eat humble pie as the HR guy raved about how his technique had rooted out an undesirable...

:-)

-- 
=========================
Connor McDonald
http://www.oracledba.co.uk

"Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue"