Good Grief! Need help making moral decision

[Cerpin Taxt]

So I'm leaving my company in a few days. I haven't even given notice yet, but my last day is Friday. <-- THAT is not my issue right now, though.

I work remotely, out of my home, as a field sales rep. I have inventory that I keep on hand locally. Part of that inventory is a PC that I use for equipment demonstrations.

Over the course of two years, I swapped in a different AGP video card I had lying around and a PSU. Today I was swapping the old parts back in, but when I powered on the PC, I got *sizzle* *hiss* and clouds of smoke from the mobo. This thing had been running fine right up to today.

So, I'm pretty sure the mobo is fried, but I doubt any other parts are damaged. I couldn't really see where the smoke was coming from, but it was near the RAM DIMMS, so possibly some RAM is fubar'd too. I took the mobo out of the tray to examine the underside, and I can't see any visibly burned PCB or anything. It's conceivable that it was the CPU that fried, but I wasn't about to dislodge the HSF in order to examine it.

Anyway, the mobo itself can probably be had for $20 -- it's nothing special.

My dilemma is trying to decide between rushing out and picking up a new mobo and re-assembling the PC myself, or simply returning the inoperable PC to them for repair. I'm leaning toward the latter because if there are other issues like a fried CPU or RAM that I'm not aware of right now it could get messier if I try to fix it.

I just feel bad because not only am I giving short notice on my leave, I'm going to return this thing in inoperable condition.

 

[Tobolo]

Eh what do you care? Unless they try to stick you with a repair bill.

 

[dullard]

Well, if the new AGP card and PSU were for work-related activities, or for the equipment demonstrations, then broken equipment is a normal business cost for your employer and I wouldn't worry about it.

But, I will assume the AGP card was not for business purposes, and thus, it shouldn't have been in there to begin with. If that assumption is true, then you broke it, so be the gentleman and offer to replace it.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: Tobolo
Eh what do you care? Unless they try to stick you with a repair bill.

My short notice situation has been weighing on my conscience heavily the last 2 weeks. I feel bad enough already.

Maybe I should just sack up and get over it though. I don't think they're going to try to stick me with the bill though. They're probably just not going to pay me my last commissions or expense check, which is the reason behind my short-notice leaving. (that was another post a few days ago)

 

[jmcoreymv]

Just give it back to them and tell them you just powered it on and heard a *sizzle* and *hiss*.

 

[SketchMaster]

Just tell them what happened, most likely they won't really care about the computer. If you are honest to them they will be more inclined to give a good reference down the road if you need it.

 

[sixone]

Wait - you put your parts into their machine?

If that's correct, just give it back to them as is. If you weren't quitting, they'd still be stuck with the repairs, and you didn't do anything wrong.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: dullard
Well, if the new AGP card and PSU were for work-related activities, or for the equipment demonstrations, then broken equipment is a normal business cost for your employer and I wouldn't worry about it.

The thing is, it was when I replaced the ORIGINAL parts that the thing went tits-up. My personal parts didn't actually have anything to do with it.

But, I will assume the AGP card was not for business purposes, and thus, it shouldn't have been in there to begin with. If that assumption is true, then you broke it, so be the gentleman and offer to replace it.

Well, my personal parts I put in there without getting approval, that's true. They weren't uber-leet gaming parts though. They were just slightly better for the demos.

Still, the PC was in its ORIGINAL configuration when it fried. It might have just been dumb luck. I really don't think it was any negligence on my part that caused the failure.

 

[olds]

I would asume that you didn't seat something properly and fried the machine.

 

[SoulAssassin]

How old is it? It could be under warranty.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I would asume that you didn't seat something properly and fried the machine.

I agree it would seem to be a reasonable assumption. I was there, however, and I feel very, very confident I did not. I realize we all make mistakes, but it would be extraordinary for me to make THAT kind of mistake.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin
How old is it? It could be under warranty.

I'm not sure how old it is, but I do know it is at least 3 years old. I very much doubt it is still warrantied.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Garth
The thing is, it was when I replaced the ORIGINAL parts that the thing went tits-up. My personal parts didn't actually have anything to do with it.

That is irrelevant. It might not have been your parts, but it was very likely your work on the computer that did it. Static electricity, hooking something up incorrectly, shorting something, improperly storing the old parts, etc. Somehow when you made the swap you did something wrong.

I really don't think it was any negligence on my part that caused the failure.

If you still honestly think there was no negligence on your part, why do you have a moral dilemma?

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Garth

Originally posted by: SoulAssassin
How old is it? It could be under warranty.

I'm not sure how old it is, but I do know it is at least 3 years old. I very much doubt it is still warrantied.

It has probably been fully depreciated and therefore is seen as worthless to the company...

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: Garth
The thing is, it was when I replaced the ORIGINAL parts that the thing went tits-up. My personal parts didn't actually have anything to do with it.

That is irrelevant. It might not have been your parts, but it was very likely your work on the computer that did it. Static electricity, hooking something up incorrectly, shorting something, improperly storing the old parts, etc. Somehow when you made the swap you did something wrong.

I acknowledge this possibility. Still, it is part of my regular course of work to do work like that to the machine (certain software has proprietary PCI interfaces, for example). If I wasn't quitting, they would ordinarily foot the bill for the PC's repair.

I really don't think it was any negligence on my part that caused the failure.

If you still honestly think there was no negligence on your part, why do you have a moral dilemma?

As I alluded to elsewhere, its more of an extension of my guilty feelings about giving them such short notice regarding my leaving. I've weighed that decision heavily, and I know it is the right thing to do, but I still feel bad about it, and so this just makes me feel worse. My budget is very tight right now because I have to relocate myself, so I guess I'm seeking a rational justification for returning to them an inoperable machine.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Garth
I acknowledge this possibility. Still, it is part of my regular course of work to do work like that to the machine (certain software has proprietary PCI interfaces, for example). If I wasn't quitting, they would ordinarily foot the bill for the PC's repair.

Then let them foot the bill. Explain what happened, you were putting the PC back into its original configuration and it fried. If they demand reimbursement, then don't fight it and instead pay up. $20 for a mobo isn't worth years of weight on your conscience.

As I alluded to elsewhere, its more of an extension of my guilty feelings about giving them such short notice regarding my leaving.

People tend to try to mix moral decisions all of the time. I think for the most part, moral decisions can not and should not be mixed. Your leaving is irrelevant to the morals related to your question about the broken computer. The broken computer is irrelevant to the morals of you leaving without much notice. If you mix moral decisions, then you reach the conclusion that two wrongs make a right. Sorry. False. The first wrong was wrong, and the second wrong was wrong. You can not combine them into a right.

Don't complicate your problems by combining them. Look at them separately and do the right thing in each case individually. I know it is hard to do, but I feel it is what must be done.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: Garth
I acknowledge this possibility. Still, it is part of my regular course of work to do work like that to the machine (certain software has proprietary PCI interfaces, for example). If I wasn't quitting, they would ordinarily foot the bill for the PC's repair.

Then let them foot the bill. Explain what happened, you were putting the PC back into its original configuration and it fried. If they demand reimbursement, then don't fight it and instead pay up. $20 for a mobo isn't worth years of weight on your conscience.

As I alluded to elsewhere, its more of an extension of my guilty feelings about giving them such short notice regarding my leaving.

People tend to try to mix moral decisions all of the time. I think for the most part, moral decisions can not and should not be mixed. Your leaving is irrelevant to the morals related to your question about the broken computer. The broken computer is irrelevant to the morals of you leaving without much notice. If you mix moral decisions, then you reach the conclusion that two wrongs make a right. Sorry. False. The first wrong was wrong, and the second wrong was wrong. You can not combine them into a right.

Don't complicate your problems by combining them. Look at them separately and do the right thing in each case individually. I know it is hard to do, but I feel it is what must be done.

Your points are well taken. Thanks for the counsel, its precisely what I needed.

(and no, your sarcasm meter is not broken. I mean it.)