Community archive

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Give your techs the leftovers.

0 helpful
15 replies

by tbragsda

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

.
OK, let me start this by stating, I personally have never purchased a computer with my own money. No joke, NEVER. I have been in this industry since 1988, using them since I was a child, and I can say without exception never. How you may ask, well, I consider it obligation of my employer to furnish me with the tools that I need. Before that it was my father that loved technology and provided me with whatever may spark my interest.

While I was starting out, I had many very kind managers that gave me surplus equipment. Servers, desktops, and even laptops. That idea has trickled to me. I try to provide same to tech that I deal with. Why? Not just to be a good guy. I do so they will learn. They will take a worthless server/desktop home and spend hours installing, fixing, playing, and most importantly learning. Giving them the leftovers cost me nothing, the company nothing (some exceptions apply. Talk to your finance dept) and builds the relationship, loyalty, and skills of the techs working under you.

So, while the discussion of how to dispose of old equipment comes up often enough on this site, I offer this as a possible solution. Please give to your jr. techs first. They will love you for it, and you will get more in return.

15 replies

by jaqui

a good idea.
I've learned far more from playing with older systems than most grads from courses have learned in the university courses.

like I can straighten pins on damaged cpu without breaking them, and cpu still works ( 4 years later )
techs, trained and certified, were saying throw it out, not worth trying to fix.

saved 450 for a pack of smokes, two pots of coffee and four hours time. I think it was worth it.
( my wife is still using same cpu and is happy. )

by oz_media

A friend some years back owned a jewelry store, very high end custom diamond rings, multi-coloured gold etc. He was a skilled jeweler from Russia. I was fixing his car one day and when he invited me in for lunch I was amazed to see the amount of jewelry and gems he had just layng around. Part of the rebuild deal was he was going to make me a custom ring. He had one of those shelftop racks with all the little plastic parts drawers in it and he was pulling out little niggets of various types of gold and diamonds while coming up with ideas for me.

So I was stunned that this guy had this kinda stuff just kicking around, and I joked that at my house, I had engine heads, carbs and spare parts laying around all over the place.

He told me that when he was a boy in Russia, his dad was a plummer. His dad told him one day that what you so at work, is what you have at home. THAT's why there was little T's and shut offs laying around.

So he took his advice and become a jewler! Now he has a living room full of jewels, which is better than plumbing!

But he is right in EVERY way, anyone I know has a home full of bits and bobs from work. Not that they are thieves but you just aquire stuff.

So you want a room full of art, get a job in a framing shop or art gallery, you want a home full of chicken, get a job at KFC, you want a home full of spare computer bits, get a job in IT. It stands the test EVERY time.
:)

by mcs-1

(not that there's anything wrong with the job, but) ... thank gawd I never became a garbage man .... :)

by oz_media

Now you probably wouldn't have a home full of rotten vegetables and discarded kleenex, but you WOULD undoubtedly have a home full of 'interesting treasures' that you found while on the job.

by house

You will have the whole building screaming for computers. Just tell your techs to keep it hush, unless of course it is an IT based business. It has been my experience that the other departments get extremely jealous and whiny when they get wind of this type of activity.

by tbragsda

.
Its always a issue. I have never had much luck giveing equipment to other non-techs. Too much follo-up. If you leave equipment by the dumpster, they can pick it up if they want.

Tell the tech that are getting it, "just keep it down"

by amcol

If you have to keep something quiet, then there's something wrong with it.

I've no problem with having employees be the beneficiary of old equipment that's been fully depreciated and is at the end of its useful life, but I do have a few problems with the way you're going about this.

1. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Why should the techs be the only ones to benefit from company largesse? You're keeping it quiet, but believe me...it'll come out. And when it does, it'll be a lot worse than you can imagine.

2. There's more than one way to skin a cat. There are a lot of organizations representing folks who could benefit greatly from a free computer. You're giving equipment, gratis, to working people who can well afford their own. It's generous, but could be much more so.

3. (Last cliche, I promise.) Loose lips sink ships. How careful are you about wiping critical or sensitive corporate information off the hard drives before you let those machines out of the building? No foolproof way to do that I know about.

by mcs-1

That's a great idea. I agree that I've learned much more from diving into a broken 'whatever' and get it running again - more than any book or class could ever teach me.

by choppit

I wouldn't be in the position I'm in now unless someone had allowed me to do this. My company had an old 386 Netware 3.12 server collecting dust. This server had only survived because some smart accountant decided to write off computer hardware over a 25 years period (no, I'm not joking). I convinced one of the directors that it would benefit the company to let me have this server at home. Weeks later, I'd done several Netware installs and I'd became hungry for IT knowledge. So here I am.....

by choppit

Becoming involved with Linux has changed how I see 'obsolete' PC hardware. Yesterdays rubbish is todays firewall/router/print server etc. and I encourage any IT wannabes to think along the same lines.

by jdmercha

First off let me say that I agree. I'm just purchased my 2nd PC in the past 15 years. I wasn't in IT when I bought my first one. I've pieced together parts from old machines in the meantime.

But be aware of the legal implications. If you give away a computer to an employee and that computer ends up being illegally dumped, if the serial number can be traced back to the company, then the company is liable for any associated fines. (in the US anyway)

by tbragsda

.
They could also try to sell. While this may not be illegal, it could have software that is not.

Good warnings when they get the equipment.

by vinc_1969

I just donated 2 PCI NIC cards to my friends computer business, I just went wireless and didn't need them anymore. I have hard drives, servers, and little knick knacks lying around that I got from work. I still give my friend things that I don't need, so I totally agree with you that Jr. Techs should be given the chance to learn and work at home. It gives them the satisfaction and oppurnity to work alone, without someone over their shoulder. Should they have questions I always leave them my number and e-mail. Let the learning begin!!!!

by turbogeek

Sell it to them for $1. Perfectly okay if the equipment is fully depreciated as well. Alternatively "award" it to them as part of some type of employee recognition/motivation/morale/quality of life/life-work balance/ 'program'. HR can come up with a suitable euphamism. The main objective would be to get the employee and company to sign a document such that 1) The company does not guarantee or warantee the equipment. It's "as is" (assuming that someone has checked to make sure it actually work or is otherwise suitable for this purpose) and 2) the employee is taking possession, title and ownership of the equipment, along with all of the benefits and responsibilities thereto, including proper disposal.

by tomsal

Here, when it comes to giving spare parts unless its totally TOTALLY underpowered for anything useful at work or just very cheap (like a keyboard, mouse, a printer thats a few years old)...I have no authority to hand over spare parts.

So while I like your idea and think its pretty sound, before anyone just takes up this advice check with the execs first.

Of course this likely won't apply to you if you are a CIO -- because then you probably "bob around" with the big wigs anyway.

This discussion is closed to new replies.