North Carolina Solitaire Crackdown

directorblue's blog ^ | 3/27/2005 | directorblue

[directorblue]

From North Carolina comes a report that a State Senator wants to erase all game applications from state workers' computers. His belief: that preventing government employees from playing Solitaire and Minesweeper will recoup millions of dollars worth of productivity for the state.

"...The solitaire crackdown here, though perhaps rare in its specificity, is part of a behind-the-scenes battle over personal time that's affecting not just unionized state workers in North Carolina, but sales reps in Washington and phone-bank workers in San Francisco..."

This effort is, itself, a giant waste of time. It makes about as much sense as teaching Mandarin Chinese to Jessica Simpson. Here's why...

[mtbopfuyn]

Perhaps if the senator actually did the job he was elected to do, set a good example and quit wasting taxpayers dollars....

[jocon307]

I'd like to do much the same to my "users" at work. I'd especially like to prevent them from downloading screen savers and silly cursors. They download all this cr*p and then they wonder why they get viruses, why their machines are slow, etc.

The introduction of the internet to our administrative staff has been one of the worst things ever, and I even include myself in the abuser catogory. However, now it is really a necessity, so there's no turning back. But, if everyone got the hang of using the Verizon website to look up phone numbers we might save a lot in directory assistance charges.

Now, since I'm home, it's time to play a little more Solitaire!

[randog]

If I were Senator Allran, I'd worry less about which time-wasting technologies were installed on state computers... and a little more about a management philosophy that seems to encourage the wasting of time.

Agreed. For starters, they could get rid of the government worker-bee culture that promotes the mentality that you'll never get fired no matter what you do (or don't do).

[Condor51]

Well I don't know about Solitaire, however Minesweeper is addicting - and I'm PRETTY GOOD at it

Here's my best times:

• Beginner; 14 Seconds (b4 my hd crashed it was 10 sec)
  
• Intermediate; 82 seconds
  
• Expert; 220 seconds

Needless to say I only play at expert level now :-)
(is cracking 200 seconds feasible? we shall see....)

[VaRepublican]

For those employees all I can say is that change is hard.Real change will eventually be rewarded, especially if what youre doing has to be done.I'm sorry they may take some of your play time but in these days I think efficiency is mandatory.

[patton]

If you get carpal tunnel from playing minesweeper, are you eligible for workers' comp?

[infocats]

"From North Carolina comes a report that a State Senator wants to erase all game applications from state workers' computers. His belief: that preventing government employees from playing Solitaire and Minesweeper will recoup millions of dollars worth of productivity for the state."

Score one for the Senator. Erasing these games would be an inexpensive way to gain productivity at the workplace. I guess the real shame is that these games would be played on company time in the first instance.

[Condor51]

****Agreed. For starters, they could get rid of the government worker-bee culture that promotes the mentality that you'll never get fired no matter what you do (or don't do).****

Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner!

I spent 1994 & 1995 on site in an SSA building during a major reconstruction project. During that time the following occurred (There's more but you'll get the point).

• A KNIFE FIGHT between two female 'minority' gubmint workers. Neither was reprimanded, let alone fired.
  
• On one floor in a department there was an ongoing (about seven months IIRC) Monopoly Game which we had ORDERS not to go NEAR the game board unless we had a Supervisor's prior approval so they could advise 'the players' and protect their game.
  
• On another floor a Supervisor had a little toy plastic stockade fence (like from Davey Crockett) on the floor - designating HIS SPACE! Again, we had ORDERS not to go near, TOUCH his little toy fence, OR step over it.

Then there were the idiotic "Union Rules" regarding the gubmint workers "rights" to a smoke break, but that in itself is a LOOOOOONG story. In effect they never had to work do to their "addiction".

[directorblue]

read the article - i list several reasons why the Senator's initiative makes no sense whatsoever. bottom line: unmotivated, unsupervised and untasked personnel will find ways to waste time. more and more of those channels exist today: think internet games, cell phones, PSPs, gameboys, etc. what's the real problem here? it's not the fact that minesweeper's installed...

[Condor51]

***If you get carpal tunnel from playing minesweeper, are you eligible for workers' comp?***

Yeah, but since I'm self employed, I guess I sue myself?!?
:-)

Seriously, I always play from around 4:30 to 6:00 pm (can't miss CSI reruns)

[VaRepublican]

Unmotivated, untasked and underutilized employees should be let go...