Live long and prosper elsewhere [Ohio fires, mocks employee for running SETI software]

FortWayne.com ^ | Oct. 09, 2004

[John Jorsett]

The search for extraterrestrial life has ended at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in Columbus, Ohio.

The department Thursday fired a computer programmer who admitted to using a state-owned computer server to process data for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence project, run by the University of California at Berkeley.

Charles E. Smith, 63, told administrators he didn’t think loading the SETI software on the server was much of a problem because he ran the program only when the server wasn’t being used, according to a disciplinary report.

Department head Tom Hayes disagreed.

“I understand his desire to search for intelligent life in outer space, because obviously he doesn’t find it in the mirror in the morning,” Hayes said. “I think that people can be comfortable that security has beamed this man out of our building.”

[John Jorsett]

Maybe it was appropriate to fire this guy for this transgression, but publicly mocking him afterward, even without naming him, makes me think that Tom Hayes is a real jerk. If I worked there, I'd be looking for another position so that I didn't have to be in the same department with him.

[FReepaholic]

Department Head Haynes should have used more tact in his statement but he was justified in firing the guy.

You don't load unapproved software on company servers.

[LowOiL]

LOL...Funny Bump..

[John Jorsett]

That didn't come out quite right. I meant, even if they hadn't named the guy as they did, it would still be a lousy thing to do.

[quantim]

I guess they'll be changing screensavers...

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Kerry's support proves we have a long way to go just trying to find intelligent life on Earth.

Based on my seeing Kerry yard signs in my own neighborhood, I have concluded my own neighborhood has a problem with human bodies possessed by preprogrammed aliens.

[Drango]

FreeRepublic has a SETI group. I just joined...

http://setiathome2.ssl.berkeley.edu/stats/team/team_15327.html

[Ichneumon]

This article has already been posted and discussed on FreeRepublic, albeit under a different title: Man Fired For Using Computer To Search For Aliens.

[Iscool]

Or, they could have just said, "Get your software off our computer" and left it at that...

[EagleUSA]

If this guy was playing with SETI-type software, he could not hurt anything with it. It just looks at recorded radio signals in a special way. There are many people who belong to the SETI organization, and they are far from kooks...quite the opposite in fact. Many are world reknowned scientists and radio astronomers.

It is not a whacko organization. You can look it up on the internet. Interesting story behind it.

[donalgrant]

In my (private, but gov't funded) employer, the following steps are taken before someone is fired:

1. documentation of on-going problem
2. formal oral warning
3. first written warning
4. final written warning
5. termination. Doesn't appear to have been much of a process in this case. This looks suspiciously like an excuse to get rid of someone that the organization already wanted to remove. Note that he's 63. I'd tell him to get a lawyer. After all, the SETI program is a public service, formerly sponsored by the US government, and the SETI software is used widely across the US as a screensaver, with no obvious cost to the company. And, if I read this right, this was a government organization, not a private company.

[ElkGroveDan]

I don't see this as any different than employees in work places who start a recycling garbage can on their own, or ask coworkers to go through dumb rituals for superstitious reasons (such as not numbering parts of the office '13') because it makes them feel good about it, even though many rational minded people think of all that as a silly waste of time.

If the managers don't like behavior they can first ask for it to stop.

[FReepaholic]

The article doesn't go into detail. They may have already gone through processes such as your company does. We don't know.

In my company, employees sign a "Computer Use" policy and in it they agree not to install any software.

As the network/security admin for my company, I'd push for this guy's removal if he'd done that to my servers. Especially if he was an admin himself.

[jimbergin]

I have used Seti at home as my screensaver for 37,500 hours of actual cpu time There is no way Seti could have hurt the server.
jim

[donalgrant]

Maybe they went through a process. But the comments from the guy's manager make it sound like the manager didn't have a clue and just wanted to remove him.

I'd be looking at whether or not this was a case of age discrimination.

[FReepaholic]

...I don't see this as any different than employees in work places who start a recycling garbage can on their own...

Big difference. A "recycling garbage can" doesn't have the potential to compromise the company's computer network, open doors to hackers, etc.

This guy made a major computer security screwup.

Wouldn't you be a little nervous if you found out your bank or credit card company had an employee uploading rogue software on the network? Would you be concerned about the security of your financial information? I would.

[ElkGroveDan]

Big difference. A "recycling garbage can" doesn't have the potential to compromise the company's computer network, open doors to hackers, etc.

Yeah but that wasn't cited as the reason. The silliness of the whole idea, and the waste of time and resources was given as the reason. That does compare to directly to a hypothetical recycling can that no one asked for (which I once had to deal with).

[martin_fierro]

Ecce homo.

Tom Hayes was appointed director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services by Governor Bob Taft effective Sept. 4, 2001. As director, he oversees an agency with about 3,500 employees and an annual budget of more than $15 billion. The department provides a wide range of services to Ohio's families, job-seekers and employers.

Hayes had been administrator of Cuyahoga County from January 1999 until his ODJFS appointment, and served previously in that post from 1995-97. As administrator, he had direct responsibility for finance and administration for all Cuyahoga County agencies, and provided oversight and policy development.

He holds a bachelor's degree and a master's in public administration from Cleveland State University.

Hayes lives in Bay Village with his wife, Debra. They have a daughter, Lauren, a senior in college.

[Slainte]

Mr. Hayes-

http://jfs.ohio.gov/director.stm

Tom Hayes was appointed director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services by Governor Bob Taft effective Sept. 4, 2001. As director, he oversees an agency with about 3,500 employees and an annual budget of more than $15 billion. department provides a wide range of services to Ohio's families, job-seekers and employers.

Hayes had been administrator of Cuyahoga County from January 1999 until his ODJFS appointment, and served previously in that post from 1995-97. As administrator, he had direct responsibility for finance and administration for all Cuyahoga County agencies, and provided oversight and policy development.

He holds a bachelor's degree and a master's in public administration from Cleveland State University.

Hayes lives in Bay Village with his wife, Debra. They have a daughter, Lauren, a senior in college.

It's funny that his official bio doesn't mention his propensity to be a complete @$$#*!%. I wonder if they had to have a special series of classes to theach that when he was getting his MPA.