how can i get around this stupid IT policy?

[drag]

Here is what you do.

Get a electrical pencil sharpener, one of those type that turn on automaticly when you stick your pencil in it. Steal it from work is the best idea, you might as well piss EVERYONE off well as your at it.

Go down a couple floors, or to the other side of the building were people work that don't realy know you. Find a unoccupied desk and go underneath it and rip out all the power plugs out of the power strip and put the power strip in your breifcase and take it back to your cubical.

Plug the power strip into yours and leave the red on/off button were it's easy for you to find it with your foot.

Reach around and steal a pencil from one of your neighbors when they aren't looking. You need a new one that still has a big fat eraser.

Now take a big long wastefull strip of tape from one of the dozen or so scotch tape dispensers you have secreted away and have hidden underneath a pile of debris in your bottom drawer along with your bottle of cheap scotch.

Take some tape and wrap it around the pointy end of the pencil, to make it slightly bulky.

Now RAM that pencil into the electric pencil sharpener and plug it into the strip.

The idea is to stuff the enough pencil and the tape into the front of that little beasty so that it will still be spinning that pencil around even after you let go.

It may take some time and effort to get the correct amount tape for the ideal speed/friction balance.

Now plug that pencil sharpener into the extra power strip underneath your desk and turn that power strip off.

Now here comes the MAGICAL part:

Find a big paper clip. Uncurl it and jam it into the end of the eraser.

Then you have to adjust it very carefully.

You want to put that pencil spinning device next to your keyboard, when you hit the power strip the pencil will begin to spin around and that paper clip will twirl around and smack the 'enter' key by your numpad AND KEEP YOUR SCREEN SAVER FROM COMMING UP!!!

If you find that the eraser tears into fragments after a couple hours, I found that by wrapping a rubber band around the eraser and pouring liberal amounts of super glue all over it will turn that rubber/eraser combo hard as a rock. It will never tear.

You turn it on when your away from your desk. Hit the glowing red switch when you get up or take a nap.

I once had a keyboard thwapper going for nearly 2 months before it finally caught on fire. It was a work of art.

If the noise attracts attention, just blare NPR radio or some Eminem on a desk radio set and nobody will ever notice.

Just like they will never notice the now non-standard screensaver or the fact that your computer remains unlocked even after a prolonged absence of yours while engaging in a 45 minute restroom post-chilly pepper crap-a-thon.

 

[nageov3t]

drag, you make me miss working in a cubicle. hehe.

 

[EeyoreX]

IT nazi's .... no computing for you!

you know, what pisses me off the most about IT types is that they labor under the misapprehension that they are the most important group within the corporation, that they know what's best for everybody else, and that the rest of us should just do what they say. what they seem to fail to comprehend is that they are a SERVICE organization and, as such, they work for the people in the company who actually produce products and revenue!

I find it slightly ironic that you meantion nazis in the very same post where you all but say people should be servicing you (as the implication is that you are "superior" by being a "person that actually produces products and revenue"). It's too bad. Just like any other service-related industry, they should be, (pay attention here; because you should be doing it too...) doing their jobs!! Not "servicing" anyone. It is the IT people's job to secure computers at your workplace. It is their job to implement whatever policies the company puts forth. Do your job and live with the policies of the company. Otherwise, find another job.

any real engineer knows you can't do any real work on a pc. i do all my work on a unix workstation. the pc is just there 'cause my it dept. is too stupid to figure out how to forward email to my unix account so it has to go to my pc. anyway, who the hell cares if i only check email once a day - most of it worthless crap from it anyway!

I find it laughable that you seem to think you do any "real work". It seems to me if you are so worried about this 10 minute time limit that you are more likely than not wasting time trying to check your email. If you only checked it once, then why do you care about when the screensaver comes on and locks your computer?

\Dan

 

[Farfrael]

LOL @ Drag
This post is really a piece of art

I do NOT agree with the tone of the original poster.
However, experience has tought me that an auto-locking screensaver every 10 minutes can quickly become annoying.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: Farfrael
LOL @ Drag
This post is really a piece of art

I do NOT agree with the tone of the original poster.
However, experience has tought me that an auto-locking screensaver every 10 minutes can quickly become annoying.

Oh ya I can see how this would be irritating, but is something like this any less absurd?

example:

Ok, you want to hack the computer, right?

You can buy little hardware do-dads that you can stick between the keyboard and the computer, or you can get software equivelent. These are keyloggers.

Like this one

Put on the keylogger, or install the software by exploiting some windows insecurity. Break your computer or erase a program. Fill up the harddrive with crap. Anything to get the software broken.

Call up the IT staff and complain, they send up a tech. He logs in and fixes whatever is screwed up.

You take out the keylogger, or e-mail the log to a hotmail account. When you get home analyze it and extract the admin's username and password.

Come back to work early and log in as the admin and turn off the password lock for the screensaver. Then install your custom screensaver so you can stare at it when your not at your computer working.

Then if the IT people know their job, you get fired a couple days later when the network logs show someone logging into your computer as a admin that was still home sleeping. Hope they don't decide to press criminal charges. You know getting stuck with hacking a computer sucks when some cracker realy does break into the system does damage and you are the one that gets caught... and the other guy didn't.

Try explaining something like that to your boss.

Good Luck.

 

[Farfrael]

As i said .... i do NOT agree with the tone/intentions of the original poster.
Breaking company policies is pretty stupid and i would never advocate doing such a thing !

However, it doesn't mean that the policy isn't annoying for the users. And in that case (autolocking screensaver every 10 minutes), it CAN be annoying.

While i am at it, I would be curious to know if the IT staff itself always respect all the policies to the letter ? Or, do some of you use your knowledge/position to bypass the policies you consider the most obnoxious ?

And i knew about the same kind of keylogger from thinkgeek. Real nice piece of hardware but not really usefull IMHO.

 

[tart666]

does anyone have a better policy?

one company i worked at did random audits, if they catch your computer unlocked with noone in the cube you get a ticket. I hated that policy even more than auto-lock, tho...

 

[BT7990]

Its people like that who help keep my job secure. The more users who buck a company?s IT policies and "break" a machine, the more work I have. I would much rather be doing something productive than chasing down a tech savvy user.

Yeah it annoying, but there will always be a small percentage who seem to forget that they work for a company - not the other way around. That IT policies and rules are in place for a reason called the big picture. That tampering with company property can be grounds for the company to take "action". That you may wind up getting to know you HR person on a more "intimate" level....

 

[Sunner]

Some policies are stupid.

So, get a few people with you and complain to management, giving them good arguments why it's stupid, chances are they'll listen.

 

[josphII]

joecool?

do you have access to the registry?

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: Farfrael
As i said .... i do NOT agree with the tone/intentions of the original poster.
Breaking company policies is pretty stupid and i would never advocate doing such a thing !

However, it doesn't mean that the policy isn't annoying for the users. And in that case (autolocking screensaver every 10 minutes), it CAN be annoying.

While i am at it, I would be curious to know if the IT staff itself always respect all the policies to the letter ? Or, do some of you use your knowledge/position to bypass the policies you consider the most obnoxious ?

And i knew about the same kind of keylogger from thinkgeek. Real nice piece of hardware but not really usefull IMHO.

Oh I knew. I wasn't dissagreeing with you or anything. Just elaberating with the point. (Sorry)

Personally I would be irritated about the 10 minute lockup definately.

 

[stash]

Originally posted by: josphII
joecool?

do you have access to the registry?

If this is being set with Active Directory group policy, that wouldn't matter. The settings in HKCU\Software\policies trump the settings in HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop

 

[elkinm]

I think the ten minute policy is fine, the only thing is what kind of passwords do you have. If you are issued and strong pasword by ITs every week or month or so then it is very anoying and I would forget it and call ITs every 10 minutes as I forgot the password?

The windows logo screen saver is just very anoying. Just ask the IT to either activate your old screen saver or just dissable the screen saver entierly. I would rather have a blank screen then something anoying.

What I can't stand is if the IT configures actual display settings like resolution, effects, cursor speed and the apsolute worst lock refresh rate at 60 Hz wich is completely unecceptable.

And as a last case cenario you can find a program (I can't name a specific one,) that specificaly keeps the system from going idle. I moves the cursor every couple of minutes or does something to keep the screen saver from activating without disrupting you, athough this should be your last resort as it basicly removes your lock. Had one like this a while ago, if I can find one I will post a link.

 

[Celstar]

I'm a little curious if some of us aren't overly critical of their IT guys.

How strict are the IT policies in your company? If anyone doesn't mind, can you post your IT policy here?

 

[ITJunkie]

Originally posted by: Geckotek
1) You can't

2) You can't

If your admins have done their jobs correctly, you will not be able to get around this. The only way is for the admins to lift the policy or change your membership to a group that does not apply that policy.

And I mirror n0cmonkey's feelings on the subject.

 

[Smilin]

Originally posted by: joecool
ok, so the geniuses at my employer just came up with the brilliant idea that our pc's aren't secure enough (never mind that we all have to badge in three times just to get to our cubes, there still must be spies sneaking around just waiting to pounce on an unlocked, unused pc to steal all of our incredibly valuable corporate secrets!). so they "fixed" everyone's pc so that the screen saver kicks in after 10 minutes and locks the pc. they also took away all of our cool screen savers in favor of the windows logo, and somehow locked the screen saver so you can't change it. now, having to relogin every 10 minutes to check my email is just a major hassle, plus i really liked my old screen saver, which showed a slide show of pix of my kids. so, here's the question:

1) how can i get around having my screen locked every 10 minutes?

2) how can i get my old screen saver back.

any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

joe

1) Easy - just ask the IT guy to hook you up. It will take him a couple minutes to apply a modified policy to you alone. Tell him you'll keep it on the down low with management and he'll help out. He's just a guy doing his job like you. He likes to make people happy and be liked in return. 9 out of 10 IT guys are like this.

2) Probably a little tougher - the IT guy will get caught changing this for you. Having hooked you up with #1 you should let him slide on #2.

Of course the whole problem with this plan is: You're a dick.

Yep. He's not going to hook you up. You've probably whined about 50 things even more trivial in the past and he could give a crap about the pictures of your kids. By the way: It's not your computer. Suck it up.

 

[spyordie007]

LMFAO Smilin!

 

[Smilin]

TYVM

 

[stash]

That was classic

 

[EeyoreX]

My policy regarding the OPs (non)issue is similar. I have to be idle for 20 minutes though. Fortunately I am usually too busy doing actual work to be bothered by when my screensaver comes on or what it actually is when it does come on (blanck screen). Are some of ITs policies frustrating to me? Absolutely. However, I understand they are doing their jobs. If entering my password is the biggest inconvenience in my day, I'll be quite pleased to enter it dozens of times.

\Dan

 

[pdn]

I work for a corporation that has policies such as what joecool is dealing with. We had (notice I said had) a similar problem with our SAP (Submit and Pray, LOL, it's a system that keeps up with our inventory and other things) system logging us off every ten minutes. The way that we handled it was that several company managers got in touch with corporate to fix the problem. This decision was made from someone very high up in the company. After a couple of months of trying to convince them in changing it to a longer time they finally agreed that it was too short of a time period.

Having said that! I don't work for an IT department, but there is a right and a wrong way of doing things. Your local IT department takes job orders from their bosses just like you do, plus they are responsible for upholding the security of the company pcs, company servers, any private data, and all kinds of back-ups for their company. Some people may not know but you can manually lock your pc by holding down the windows key and then hit ?L?, or you can do this by hitting Ctrl+Alt+Delete then click ?Lock Computer?, you may want to suggest that.

This is for sure I wouldn?t go in there and try to fix the problem yourself, especially if you value your job. I?ve seen four people fired from the company I work for doing things that they aren?t suppose to be doing with their company owned pc.

 

[Nanotech]

Originally posted by: joecool


1) how can i get around having my screen locked every 10 minutes?

2) how can i get my old screen saver back.

any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

joe

1) Find a new employeer

2) Find a new employeer

 

[Panther505]

I could post my company IT policy if it wasn't confidential (and 236 pages). Suffice to say we (as users) are expected to comply. Once a year wee electronically sign Guidline for Conduct. If we violate these guidlines then we can be terminated. That said, as an administrator for my own series of servers, for my test team, I am one of the biggest a**holes when it comes to security. I have been know to do hateful things to systems that do not meet the requirements. Then about 4 months ago I decided that I wouldn't do it anymore. Now a failure to comply with policy is REWARDED with the rest of the day to do what you want with. As the people that work for me only get paid for what they work... this has immediate and definite implications. Do it a second time and you get the rest of the day and the next daay of unpaid. The third time- bye-bye.. Haven't made it past the first time yet. Additionally the team will and does watch out for each other... locking systems that "should" have been locked.

That is the wonderful thing about the phrase-

"Conditions of Employment"

Panther

 

[Celstar]

236 pages? geezus, how is that even possible?

 

[EeyoreX]

236 pages? geezus, how is that even possible?

Leagaleze is how it's possible. That being said mine is like 15 pages.

\Dan