An update on recent technical problems and more from the admin: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/250292/on-technical-difficulties-mod-coverage-and-other-things/p1?new=1
Options
Don't put your shit on the root of C
VoodooV
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm an IT guy at my job, one of the things I'm responsible for is building and maintaining our computers. I've been building new Windows 7 computers for our programmers and one of the major headaches I've been running into is that for almost each one of them. The root of their C drive is just full of just random shit. These guys are apparently still stuck in the DOS days where where you stored your stuff didn't matter as much. So these guys have gotten lazy over the years, storing shit wherever fits their fancy. They've got countless duplicate folders. And I've seen these people try and back up their data merely by backing up the entire program files folder.
So, I'm trying to convince them to get their shit off the root. Even just simply making ONE folder on the root and dumping all their shit there is too much to ask of these guys.
For the most part, they've been stubborn and whiny about it, but most have eventually complied. But I have a couple users are run these Oracle InstantClient SQL+ scripts and they are adamant that those files have to remain on the root in order to work. Well sure, if I open up one of the batch files and look at the commands, they're all pointing right to the root. Now i'm going to come out and admit that I know next to nothing about Oracle or SQL, but I'm looking at some of these commands and they don't look horribly complex so just tell them to move the files to a folder, change the paths to match and viola. They act like I just told them to cut off one of their arms while smiling and I just can't get through to these people.
Yes, there is a serious case of FUD in our workplace.
Yes, many of these programmers are...older and as I said before I think they're still stuck in the DOS days where there were less restrictions on where you stored things or backing up entire folders WAS the way to back up your data. I'm in this position where I know Windows well enough to know that you don't store your shit on the root anymore, if not the network. But I really don't know too much about the database sides of things so whenever I "meddle" in their side of things, they get defensive.
So, I've been trying to google articles on why it's not a good idea to store stuff on the root. But so far I haven't had much luck other than finding random forum posts and anecdotal evidence.
Anybody know of any good resources to this end? Or do I just need to start learning Oracle and start learning how to write scripts so I can finally conclusively show these gooses how it's done?
This is one of the chief problems in our workplace IMO. Our IT staff pretty much falls into two camps. The Infrastructure people (my group) who knows windows and networking, but when it comes to programming and database applications, we're not as proficient. And the programming people who know their java and their Oracle and their SQL, but just seem to be clueless when it comes to windows and basic networking. There is a lot of bad history between the two camps...each side blaming the other side for problems. And yes, our leadership is really lax around here. I feel like I'm the only one who gives a damn
Thanks in advance.
So, I'm trying to convince them to get their shit off the root. Even just simply making ONE folder on the root and dumping all their shit there is too much to ask of these guys.
For the most part, they've been stubborn and whiny about it, but most have eventually complied. But I have a couple users are run these Oracle InstantClient SQL+ scripts and they are adamant that those files have to remain on the root in order to work. Well sure, if I open up one of the batch files and look at the commands, they're all pointing right to the root. Now i'm going to come out and admit that I know next to nothing about Oracle or SQL, but I'm looking at some of these commands and they don't look horribly complex so just tell them to move the files to a folder, change the paths to match and viola. They act like I just told them to cut off one of their arms while smiling and I just can't get through to these people.
Yes, there is a serious case of FUD in our workplace.
Yes, many of these programmers are...older and as I said before I think they're still stuck in the DOS days where there were less restrictions on where you stored things or backing up entire folders WAS the way to back up your data. I'm in this position where I know Windows well enough to know that you don't store your shit on the root anymore, if not the network. But I really don't know too much about the database sides of things so whenever I "meddle" in their side of things, they get defensive.
So, I've been trying to google articles on why it's not a good idea to store stuff on the root. But so far I haven't had much luck other than finding random forum posts and anecdotal evidence.
Anybody know of any good resources to this end? Or do I just need to start learning Oracle and start learning how to write scripts so I can finally conclusively show these gooses how it's done?
This is one of the chief problems in our workplace IMO. Our IT staff pretty much falls into two camps. The Infrastructure people (my group) who knows windows and networking, but when it comes to programming and database applications, we're not as proficient. And the programming people who know their java and their Oracle and their SQL, but just seem to be clueless when it comes to windows and basic networking. There is a lot of bad history between the two camps...each side blaming the other side for problems. And yes, our leadership is really lax around here. I feel like I'm the only one who gives a damn
Thanks in advance.
VoodooV on
0
Posts
Then the Russians came.
I don't do dat no mo.
I don't want to sound unhelpful, but honestly if data storage and transfer amounts aren't an issue, I probably wouldn't worry about it. If it ain't broke, and all that.
You should have seen what went on with win 3.1 machines though. That horrible, HORRIBLE file selector meant that everyone I knew (who was foolish enough to buy a PC compatible) just saved every file in root, without making a folder or anything. DIR C: usually took around 15 minutes to finish reading out.
What you're describing honestly sounds like where I used to work. Did you take my old job?
Seriously though - you're not going to get anywhere trying to convince them it's bad for their computers. Evidence or not, it's how they've been doing it and it's been working fine so why should I ever change?
You might have better luck approaching it from a perspective of how it affects your productivity. Assuming you're moving someone from XP to 7 - how long does it take, normally...backups and all...for someone who only saves things in My Documents?
Now how much longer and how much more work do you have to do with these guys? How many people do you have to do this for? How much extra work are they causing you, and how is it affecting your ability to get other tasks done when you have to spend extra time on this?
If you can find a way to directly relate the extra work to wasted time & money, that's usually when management goes from "eh, whatever" to "oh shits this is costing me money?"
Come up with a plan or policy that puts more of the responsibility back on the user (kinda like the one I mentioned at the top, where I'm at now) that'll save the IT department time and resources. Make the suggestion and push for it as much as you're able.
You might not win the immediate battle but you'll at least get them thinking. Unless you really DO have my old job, in which case the higher-ups will basically scoff at your idea, then in two years roll out an excessively complicated and inefficient version of it claiming it as their own.
Storing at the root is only an issue for file backups mostly but I've never heard of the IT team being blamed when ProgrammerA / Analyst B has their hard drive die and lose all their data. I'm assuming there are networked servers available for them to save important data and scripts that is incrementally backed up nightly. If this is not the case, that would definitely be worth looking into.
Otherwise I would just let it go rather than come off to your programming staff as the crazy Windows zealot who knows better than they do.
But, I love the game, so not much to do about that at the moment.
Are you able to change the install path? That's what I did with a lot of older games.
Alas, no, because these are edited versions that can actually run on Windows 7...so rather, it's the fault of the person who created in the installer and never considered to offer it as an option. :x
And for the topic at hand:
Going to have to agree with this entirely. There really isn't any functional reason not to save stuff to the root. Used to be a real problem. Now? Not so much.
That said, until something catastrophic happens that is caused by people leaving shit on their C drive, I don't know if you'll be able to do much about it. Wait for something to explode and use that moment to bring it up, I guess.
There are network drives x, y, and z. They are backed up. Anything saved to your physical computer hard drive is not. If you want to save stuff to your physical hard drive set up your own backup system (or auto-backup to the network drive daily) or you are SOL.
1. Go to your DC, Open ADUC, create a security group "A" for users who will not be able to save files to root drive.
2. Open GPMC, create a GPO which links to your target machines.
3. Expand the policy to [Computer Configuration | Windows Settings | Security Settings | File System ]
4. Right click it, choose "Add File..." and select the "C:" drive, enter.
5. In the security page, click "Advanced" button.
6. Add the security group "A", choose "Apply to" to "This folder only".
7. Tick the Deny permission:
i. Create files /Write data
ii. Create folders / Append data
8. Click OK and Apply.
9. In the warning windows, click Yes.
10. Add Object windows, click OK.
PSN - MicroChrist
I'm too fuckin' poor to play
WordsWFriends - zeewoot
They should be using some sort of version control anyway (cvs, svn, etc...), just back up the repository server.