Workplace ethics question

[Jumpem]

I did a nine-month co-op (internship) at a company.

I designed and implemented a couple of relatively small Java applications.

I kept copies of them when I left for simple reference. They can not be run since they require other libraries that are proprietary to the company I worked for. I have no plans to give the code to anyone.

Should I delete the source files?

 

[nageov3t]

if they're just for your personal reference, I see nothing wrong with keeping them.

 

[MisfitsFiend]

if you designed them and you are only keeping them as templates AND will not reuse them in the state that the other company is currently using them, I don't see why you would delete them unless you would want to.

 

[Jumpem]

The reason I ask is that my boss from there out of the blue asked me if I could help them with it. I answered his questions over email.

Then today he askew how I was able to help since I am back at school. I told him that I had a copy I used for reference. It is the largest and most complex tool I have ever made so I would like to still view it. He asked me to delete it.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: Jumpem
The reason I ask is that my boss from there out of the blue asked me if I could help them with it. I answered his questions over email.

Then today he askew how I was able to help since I am back at school. I told him that I had a copy I used for reference. It is the largest and most complex tool I have ever made so I would like to still view it. He asked me to delete it.

Keep it. Tell him you deleted it. If if asks for your help again, tell him it is $150/hour + expenses.

 

[torpid]

Well I think you are technically obligated to delete it now that he has asked you to. It's kind of rotten for him to ask that, though. It's fairly common for programmers to keep some of their own work around for reference on future projects. Personally, I wouldn't delete it.

 

[Leejai]

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Jumpem
The reason I ask is that my boss from there out of the blue asked me if I could help them with it. I answered his questions over email.

Then today he askew how I was able to help since I am back at school. I told him that I had a copy I used for reference. It is the largest and most complex tool I have ever made so I would like to still view it. He asked me to delete it.

Keep it. Tell him you deleted it. If if asks for your help again, tell him it is $150/hour + expenses.

i agree, since you were an intern (aka underpaid contractor), the final work is theirs to keep but all source code is still your intellectual property...don't delete anything, and rather than doing him a favor, charge the $150/hr.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: Leejai

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Jumpem
The reason I ask is that my boss from there out of the blue asked me if I could help them with it. I answered his questions over email.

Then today he askew how I was able to help since I am back at school. I told him that I had a copy I used for reference. It is the largest and most complex tool I have ever made so I would like to still view it. He asked me to delete it.

Keep it. Tell him you deleted it. If if asks for your help again, tell him it is $150/hour + expenses.

i agree, since you were an intern (aka underpaid contractor), the final work is theirs to keep but all source code is still your intellectual property...don't delete anything, and rather than doing him a favor, charge the $150/hr.

It's absolutely not his intellectual property legally. Just morally.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Leejai

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Jumpem
The reason I ask is that my boss from there out of the blue asked me if I could help them with it. I answered his questions over email.

Then today he askew how I was able to help since I am back at school. I told him that I had a copy I used for reference. It is the largest and most complex tool I have ever made so I would like to still view it. He asked me to delete it.

Keep it. Tell him you deleted it. If if asks for your help again, tell him it is $150/hour + expenses.

i agree, since you were an intern (aka underpaid contractor), the final work is theirs to keep but all source code is still your intellectual property...don't delete anything, and rather than doing him a favor, charge the $150/hr.

no...it is the companies now....They own it. Just do not use teh code else where or there will be law suits filed everywhere....

 

[Conky]

Make a copy, add an additional line of useless code and save it as something else. Then delete the original. (insert wink smilie here)

 

[Gothgar]

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Jumpem
The reason I ask is that my boss from there out of the blue asked me if I could help them with it. I answered his questions over email.

Then today he askew how I was able to help since I am back at school. I told him that I had a copy I used for reference. It is the largest and most complex tool I have ever made so I would like to still view it. He asked me to delete it.

Keep it. Tell him you deleted it. If if asks for your help again, tell him it is $150/hour + expenses.

what he said...

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Leejai

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Jumpem
The reason I ask is that my boss from there out of the blue asked me if I could help them with it. I answered his questions over email.

Then today he askew how I was able to help since I am back at school. I told him that I had a copy I used for reference. It is the largest and most complex tool I have ever made so I would like to still view it. He asked me to delete it.

Keep it. Tell him you deleted it. If if asks for your help again, tell him it is $150/hour + expenses.

i agree, since you were an intern (aka underpaid contractor), the final work is theirs to keep but all source code is still your intellectual property...don't delete anything, and rather than doing him a favor, charge the $150/hr.

Uhm ... I doubt very much that he can claim anything he created on company time as his intellectual property. Most companies dealing with software have pretty strict agreements in place covering stuff like that, and the OP probably signed one as a condition of employment.

In any case, the boss is a schmuck to ask for help uncompensated, and then come back on you like that. But you are likely legally obligated to delete the code, although in practice, I know plenty of programmers that keep their old work for reference and such. As long as it doesn't show up somewhere else I wouldn't worry about it.

And if he calls you again for help, absolutely ask for compensation. At least $50/hr with a 2 hour minimum. And they have to send you the code because you deleted your copy

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[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: Leejai

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Jumpem
The reason I ask is that my boss from there out of the blue asked me if I could help them with it. I answered his questions over email.

Then today he askew how I was able to help since I am back at school. I told him that I had a copy I used for reference. It is the largest and most complex tool I have ever made so I would like to still view it. He asked me to delete it.

Keep it. Tell him you deleted it. If if asks for your help again, tell him it is $150/hour + expenses.

i agree, since you were an intern (aka underpaid contractor), the final work is theirs to keep but all source code is still your intellectual property...don't delete anything, and rather than doing him a favor, charge the $150/hr.

Agreed (except for the IP part, from what I have read code is IP of the company). Keep the code, your not reusing it, so even if this act alone is illegal, they have 0 damages to recover. Also, why the fvck would he want help, then b!tch about how you provided it?

He benefited from you keeping the code.

Next time tell him it's $150/hr, you bill in whole hour increment, and you will have to start from scratch since you don't have the code anymore.

 

[Kelemvor]

Heh. I concur with what everyone else already said. Don't delete it but if they ask again, tell them you did. THen if they ask for any more help, make sure you charge them for it.

 

[dquan97]

Send them a bill for the help and charge a retainer for the next time

 

[yoda291]

if they ask you to delete their code, you SHOULD, but realistically, if this was a learning experience for you and you don't put the code anywhere, I doubt it will ever be an issue if you keep the code archived somewhere.

 

[torpid]

I have come up with the perfect answer. Tell them you will delete it for $150/hr.

 

[Jumpem]

To clarify it was a PAID co-op if that makes a difference.

 

[BCYL]

Delete it...

Anything you created when you were at the job belongs to the company, it is their IP... If they request that you delete it, you should delete it... Doesn't matter whether you designed/created it, it still belongs to the company...

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: BCYL
Delete it...

Anything you created when you were at the job belongs to the company, it is their IP... If they request that you delete it, you should delete it... Doesn't matter whether you designed/created it, it still belongs to the company...

That's what I am thinking. However, I only use it as a reference as I would the java api. I never plan on using any parts of it for anything.

 

[ITJunkie]

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Jumpem
The reason I ask is that my boss from there out of the blue asked me if I could help them with it. I answered his questions over email.

Then today he askew how I was able to help since I am back at school. I told him that I had a copy I used for reference. It is the largest and most complex tool I have ever made so I would like to still view it. He asked me to delete it.

Keep it. Tell him you deleted it. If if asks for your help again, tell him it is $150/hour + expenses.

very good

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: BCYL
Delete it...

Anything you created when you were at the job belongs to the company, it is their IP... If they request that you delete it, you should delete it... Doesn't matter whether you designed/created it, it still belongs to the company...

It depends on what you sign. I've never had to sign something that gives the company I work for copyrights over anything I write, so everything I make is mine.

 

[Jumpem]

I signed nda's, but I believe they were more aimed at sharing knowledge with competitors.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Jumpem
I signed nda's, but I believe they were more aimed at sharing knowledge with competitors.

Read them over again. Thoroughly.

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: Jumpem
I signed nda's, but I believe they were more aimed at sharing knowledge with competitors.

Read them over again. Thoroughly.

We were never given copies. First day they briefly went over them, we skimmed them and signed.