Great post. There are countless examples of draconian IT policies that have no connection to reality. In one case, IT forced a screen saver policy that required password entry to return to normal state. The screen saver utility UI was disabled so the policy could not be changed. But that caused the screen saver to activate during sales presentations, webinars, trade show floors, and conference presentations. While it was stated that the policy was for security, the work around was to leave the password on a piece of paper next to the laptop on the trade show floor. Pretty secure.
Business prevention IT policies are becoming a self fulfilling prophecy. With the proliferation of cloud computing, Software as a Service and other, highly accessible "by credit card" options, users will go out and get what they want on their own. Unfortunately, IT will lose control and slip into obscurity.
Chris, you have a great illustration here. If IT can act as the facilitator and enabler rather than the obscurer then they become necessary strategic partners of the business.
I’ve had the chance to set tech policies, administer a variety of systems, and run a lot of networks, generally in a very autonomous way. In every job I’ve ever taken (except for six months stocking shelves at night in a grocery store, but I’d rather not talk about that - I still have flashbacks), I’ve been given serious latitude, either because I knew more than those around me, I was the only guy stupid or hungry enough to take the job, or because I was the boss. It’s easy, after all, to give yourself carte blanche when you’re running the show.
Whether in research, public education, academia, or corporate settings, I’ve been lucky. If I wanted to try something new (a new web server, laptops for kids, Linux deployments, a new web-based tool, a new programming approach, or whatever) it’s been my prerogative. There hasn’t been a lot of red tape to cut through. For many other innovators in other settings, though, IT is a barrier rather than an enabler.
It doesn’t take long reading Dilbert to meet Mordac, the Preventer of Information Services. It also doesn’t take long talking to peers and colleagues to realize that my experiences aren’t typical. If I want to access a website with some useful bit of information that happens to be blocked by a content filter, for several years now I’ve been able to just unblock the site myself. Want to put a server on the network to test out some new services? Great…Let’s go find a server. Want to pilot Ubuntu on a few desktops? Find some willing volunteers. You get the picture. I’ve been lucky.
It’s easy to forget how lucky, though. Last night I received an email from a frustrated teacher:
I won a grant for 30 laptops. The school would not hook them up to the internet. They had great reasons - not in the plan, no software licences, out of warranty, (add your own) - I teach 6th grade science - is this the best idea? It really doesn’t mater, I still had to install my own Moodle server…to get the class up and running - off the internet. Gives a new meaning to ’support’…”
It got me thinking about conversations I’d had with other educators who were shocked that I allowed teachers and students to bring their own laptops into the buildings I administered. In their experience, they were limited to the often meager technology in their classrooms with security concerns most often cited as the reason for excluding outside technology. While security is actually quite a valid concern, there are plenty of utilities to check incoming devices and a simple screening procedure was all it took to supplement our technology needs with student and teacher machines.
