Work place going downhill

[dbailey]

My enjoyment of the workplace has slowly deteriorated. We are a government contractor who used to have our own office building but they moved us into a cube farm with all the other contractors to save money. They are slowly peeling back the things we used to enjoy doing when we weren't busy with direct work. The first thing to go was our personal laptops. Next they said we cannot bring our corporate laptops. We have the use of internet boxes but we don't have admin privileges. Keep in mind our group manages the worldwide IT network for the group we are working for, but they don't give us any leeway. We used to be able to wear jeans to work. Now we must pay a dollar and can wear them only on Fridays. The newest thing is, NO shopping websites or you will be written up. All I have left to do for entertainment in my spare time is email and message boards... So I was hoping to find any turn based email games that I can play with my co-workers so I can stick it to the man and have a sense of control back in my workday when not busy. Before all the get to work flames arrive, I know. Get to work.... and I do when I have it. But nobody around here has enough to keep us busy for the entire day. Oh, and there are NO windows to look out of. Going crazy.

Anyone know of any turn based email based games that don't require going to a website or installing them on your computer?

 

[IronWing]

chess

 

[ch33zw1z]

Bring a deck of cards to work, f the internet! Nothing better than poker tourney everyday after 2:30!!

 

[PricklyPete]

Are you paid hourly or salary?

 

[Greenman]

Just so I'm clear, you're upset because you have to work when you're at work?

 

[RedCOMET]

Just so I'm clear, you're upset because you have to work when you're at work?

I think its becuase there is a lack of "work" to do at work.. that part of the issue.

and what cube monkey likes change? from the OP, there seems to have been a lot of change at his work place that could be hard to cope without long term "help."

 

[darkswordsman17]

We used to be able to wear jeans to work. Now we must pay a dollar and can wear them only on Fridays.

WTF?

Just so I'm clear, you're upset because you have to work when you're at work?

This. Not that I have room to talk (and I hate jobs that have a lot of dead time but they get pissy if you do anything at all).

 

[bullbert]

If you want to "stick it to the man": take a work related local college class or three, have your employer reimburse you for all expenses (tuition + books + lab fees), study at work, repeat for next several semesters, complete advanced degree, demand raise after getting job offers from competitors. Rinse, repeat.

 

[dbailey]

Just so I'm clear, you're upset because you have to work when you're at work?

No, when not busy I used to have things to do to keep my mind off the fact that my workplace has begun to suck. Now it seems like they want me to focus on that.

 

[dbailey]

Are you paid hourly or salary?

Salary

 

[SpatiallyAware]

All of the stuff they're doing sounds pretty reasonable to me.

 

[dbailey]

I guess I feel like the red stapler dude in Office Space. They are moving us all to the basement and are going to need us to go ahead and come in on Saturday HmmKAY?

 

[dpodblood]

Read books in PDF form.

 

[Jeraden]

If you have a fairly recent cell phone, there are lots of apps you can install on there to keep you busy all day. I guess it depends on how visible you are to everyone.

 

[dbailey]

Read books in PDF form.

Not bad.. Just want to get my co-workers involved.. we are all going crazy.

 

[dpodblood]

If your nerdy enough you could always play some kind of email based D&D.

 

[dbailey]

If your nerdy enough you could always play some kind of email based D&D.

It may just come to that.

 

[PricklyPete]

Audible.com

Get some audio books and just listen to them when things are slow.

 

[ebaycj]

Not bad.. Just want to get my co-workers involved.. we are all going crazy.

Why not develop your own network game, with all the spare time?

 

[dbailey]

If you have a fairly recent cell phone, there are lots of apps you can install on there to keep you busy all day. I guess it depends on how visible you are to everyone.

I see a lot of people doing that around here.. That means that will probably be the next thing to go. They already provide us phones so they can justify it. But thanks for the input!

 

[dbailey]

Audible.com

Get some audio books and just listen to them when things are slow.

That and the PDF ideas are great for me.. still want to get more people involved in sticking it to the man..

Developing my own game.. was thinking about that. Now if I can just get Blizzard on board..

 

[dpodblood]

Play Wordmole on your Blackberry!

 

[MrMatt]

I assume the jeans thing goes to charity. I've worked at places like that. Why not just have it be a buck per day

 

[purbeast0]

one of my nerd coworkers at my old job used to play some stupid ascii based game called dward fortress.

he literally did no work for about 6 months and would play that shit pretty much all day 5 days a week at work.

 

[Blackjack200]

My workplace is also turning to shit. Our team just learned that one of the employees that left (3 months ago) will be replaced by a contractor, and everyone is kind of stunned. I mean, we've seen it happen to other groups, but we've always assumed that we were kind of immune because of the deep familiarity with the business required and the complexity. WRONG. I guess

I assume the jeans thing goes to charity. I've worked at places like that. Why not just have it be a buck per day

That's usually what it is. I used to not participate because it felt like coersion, but last week I found out that one of my co-workers lost his infant to SIDS three months ago, and that's where the money was going. I felt like a piece of shit and paid up.