Technology Update

Friends, the reason that the Communications Department at the Omnipresent Non-Profit Charitable Organization distrusts the I.T. Department I’m temping for is simple. Our staff’s disdain for their Apple Macs. I should say, most of our staff. I think that the Mac people should be brought into the fold, sharing resources that everyone else has easy access to. The rest of the I.T. staff couldn’t be bothered.

While at work, I check mail though the web on my .Mac account. When the page is front-most, people walking by my desk get an eyefull of Appley goodness (then proceed to make rude comments). Today, I downloaded Apple’s iTunes for Windows (all 16 freakin’ megabytes of it, thank you) to my company-issued Windows XP machine, then shared its Appley goodness with anybody who’d listen.

“99 cents! 400,000 songs! What’s not to love?”

“Um, it’s against company policy to download MP3s.”

“What about MP4s? Does it say anything about that? Huh?”

Defeated again.

On a somewhat related note, I’m making unilateral decisions about their new phone system tomorrow—extension numbers.

Gasp!

This is as politically charged as you can imagine. Should the President get 1000? Should the numbers be very random instead? Will someone freak out if she gets 666? What about 1313? What’s the protocol for this kind of thing? But hey, for the time being, I’m a temp. If I make unpopular decisions, then they can pass it off as the work of an inexperienced schlub. Hopefully it won’t come to that.

On yet another note, I’m introducing my dear neighbor to the wonders of X-10 (yes, that X-10 of pop-up browser window spy cam fame). The task is mundane—to control a couple lights on a timer—but I think she’s hooked. I dropped off a bunch of modules I didn’t need, and she appears to be ready to go. If only I could find the time to set it all up.

Time!

Your pal,

bob