Someone please calm me down, thanksà 4

[Cutiee]

I got blamed for something I didn’t do at work! Ok here is the story.

Our company makes metering skids, every project we do, we have a folder for it, and so we can save all the relevant drawings and documents in the folder.

Last week a set of drawings for one particular job (I didn’t even work on that job) got deleted or moved, well we don’t know which, but they just somehow disappeared from the project folder (weird enough, it’s the second time it has happened!). The drawings are panel drawings, I never really need to look at panel drawings, but as an E&I engineer I have access to those folders too.

IT was unable to find who deleted or moved those drawings, they just blamed on me, the “proof” they say they have is the folders I have on my desktop, I have a habit of CREATING new folders for each job I do, so I can save bits, pieces info or draft in it for my own reference, apparently I’m the only one who has folders on my desktop, so IT just automatically assumed that I’m the one who MOVED all the folders from project folder to my desktop, even though I didn’t even work on the project that lost panel drawings.

This guy who works at IT sent out emails to all managers and managing director about his accusation, and asks for me to take responsibility.

I feel very upset and angry, I want to cry I don’t know what to do, I can’t concentrate on my work right now. I explained everything to my line manager, and he said he would talk to IT, but he said no one could really tell whether I moved or created those folders on my desktop although the name and content are completely different from the missing folders!

The IT guy worked in the company for years and years, and basically IT department can’t run without him, and I only worked here less than a year, and certainly I have no proof that I created the folder, and I didn't move them then changed the title and content (just why the heck would I do that?!)… Everybody believes him except some colleagues who work with me everyday that know me well.


Cuttie

 

[macmet]

File backup is not your responsibility. I agree with VC66, it sounds like he's trying to cover up his own mistakes. If there are no backups of those files it sounds like someone in IT missed something. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[carnage1]

So is he going to send an email retracting what he said to the entire company? or will you mention how badly an email like that hurts your chances for improvement in the company and mention that he owes your for libel. (personally Id have had his job, IT or not the legal department would force him out for something that puts the company at so much risk)

Luck is a difficult thing to verify and therefore should be tested often. - Me

 

[Cutiee]

The thing is, no one thinks that IT didn't back up is a big deal, the important thing to everyone is "catch the criminal".

They are desperate to blame someone and "take action", (I don't know if the IT guy made them believe that IT couldn't backup is no biggie).

IT doesn't want to change the system, I asked why can't they change the system, or make the files only be accessible to the ones who need to work on it, the answer I got was "too complicated and might be inconvenient for some"...

lots of people believed I’m the one who deleted all drawings, I don't know if I should go around explain to everyone, I still feel quite upset, although I shouldn't


Cuttie

 

[MadMango]

The OP must have rearranged the IT's Animaniacs figure collection... sure wrath.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[DesignerGuy16]

Our servers are scripted to backup everyday at 7:30AM & 12:30PM Mon thru Fri.

These are accessable via "Previous versions folders". Set to 6 weeks back. Everything after that is saved to a removable disk (Tape drive backup I believe). Our released files can only be accessed by our engineering admin, so all of our ECN's, etc go through her to enter them into our MRP server and save the pdf's.

And this is all done with our IT guy now offsite and only physically comes in 1 week a month.

Your IT guy is definetly pointing the finger, and seems incompitent. I'd recommend outlining a "fix" that completely absolves yourself from the mess, and turns the blame to your IT department. Send it to your superiors and the IT guy, and approach your superiors about it. If you don't / sit on it then it's your neck in the noose.

By fix, I mean get a new IT department. Don't write that though! You really need to push the change from higher up, not at the IT guy who's trying to hang you out to dry.

James Spisich
Design Engineer, CSWP

 

[salmon2]

Cuttie,

I totally understand your feeling. You didn't do it, right? So I assume that they don't have any evidence to blame you. Then they shouldn't send out an email like that.

I suggest you reply to everybody on the email and strongly express your feeling. Asking for retracting his original email is reasonable to me too.

I got a fight with our IT once before. I changed my laptop couple years ago and turned in my old computer. .5 year later, I found that the old computer and new computer are both under my account. I contacted IT and they claimed that I didn't turn in the battery, so they have been waiting for that. It is bullshit, I am pretty sure I did. Even if I didn't, they should have reminded me. But they never did. So I guess the guy just had the old computer for his kids at home or something. I called the company property manager and other people and sumbited ticket for this issue. Then the issue got dismissed.

I happen to know computer real well, so I don't really need IT most of time unless I simply don't have access to certain things.

 

[dgowans]

No one thinks that the lack of a backup is a big deal? You may have bigger problems than being made a scapegoat.

Perhaps try to impress upon the powers that be the impact of a full scale file system failure. See what they say then about the importance of a verified, restorable backup.

 

[AMN4]

Cuttie, sorry to hear. I think a little righteous indignation is in order. Based upon the info you provided, if it were me, I'd tell IT guy that I expected him to set the record straight with the managers he emailed. But that's me and I have seniority.

There may be more going on behind the scenes than you think. IT guy may be under fire from management for this, hence the witch hunt.

IT guy is there for you, not the other way around. He's support staff. As necessary and useful as he may be, without people like you his job has no purpose.

Best of luck.

 

[HgTX]

"IT guy is there for you, not the other way around. He's support staff. As necessary and useful as he may be, without people like you his job has no purpose."

Too many support staff forget that. Ours (both IT and admin) think they're here to keep us from getting away with whatever the hell it is they imagine we're getting away with.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[Cutiee]

Backup was only mentioned once when we first told IT about the missing drawings, the response from IT was "unable to backup", ever since IT was trying very HARD to find out who deleted/moved those drawings...

Because of IT guy’s email, all managers and managing director think that I’m the one who deleted it, I mean just why the heck would I do it?! It won't benefit me in any ways! He even told them to take action on me.

What upset me most is, the guy who spent hours and hours did the drawings thinks I’m the one who deleted his drawings. I haven't got a chance to speak with him, will try to speak with him tomorrow.

Whoever did it, did it purposely with a bad intension... but just how to find out?!




Cuttie

 

[ctopher]

Have the manager make the I.T. idiot bring up the list of users that have read/write access, then look up who had access during a certain time/date. It can be done.
If they say it can't be done, or they refuse...it's I.T. that deleted the files or a friend of theirs.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Jul 13, 2008)
ctopher's blog

 

[SomptingGuy]

Cuttie,

If this were my problem, I'd march into my boss' office tomorrow morning (or perhaps my director's office) and present my concerns and plans for a better future. The past is the past. Clearly the policies of the past aren't suitable. Just make sure your approach is positive (how to improve things) and don't point any fingers.

- Steve

 

[salmon2]

Backup and access with different levels are very easy stuff, but somehow it is not implemented sometime. My company has the same problem, everyone has the full access to the sever. I was surpised about this when I joined my company three years ago from a university where backup and access are maintained in Unix properly. My company is a huge company by the way. It got dozens billions revenue and almost 100,000 employee globally.

Am I alone thinking our several got potential risk like Cuttie's situation? No. But why it is not changed yet? Because it is not easy to change people's mind. Technically it is very easy even with Windows server.

Many people here have suggested to come up with positive improvement. I disagree. It is not cuttie's job. She got blamed unreasonally, and she got to defend herself. Changing it or not in the future is another thing and is up to IT and management.

Salmon

 

[monkeydog]

This just doesn't make sense from a logical prospective.

If you are going into the server, and bringing files to your desktop to work on, then you are not actually moving the file to your desktop, you are just copying the files.

Given that, then you would be the only one in the company that might have a copy of files that are on the server.

Am I missing something here?

 

[apsix]

If it was me I'd go in hard, send an email to all and sundry;
Something along the lines of;
"Despite the rumours and unsubstantiated allegations , it wasn't me. I'm not even working on that project. It should be a simple matter to retrieve it from the back-up." (acting as if you don't know about the backup problem)

Warning; management may take a dim view on this sort of response.

And, it's only natural to feel upset and angry in your situation.

 

[Cutiee]

Guys, thanks for the replies

The IT guy well sorted of apologised, he emailed all managers, said he didn't mean to blame me, he just wanted to make a point that someone (unfortunately it happened to be my desktop screenshot) could have done that...

Have a nice day, all




Cuttie

 

[Cutiee]

ohh yeah, about the backup thingie, according to IT, the drawings are created and deleted on the same day, therefore they can't back up, they only back up everyday 7pm...

the whole thing is rather confusing

anyway, thanks again xxx

Cuttie

 

[jmw]

You've got him on the run.
You could go after him with a knife (blunt or sharp) or maybe exploit his nerves a bit.

But there is a deeper problem here. This kind of sloppy "what's so important about back-ups?" attitude suggests you've just touched the tip of the iceberg. What else is there in IT waiting to trip you up? How good is security? how good are some of those resources you have? what other aspects of the company are full of holes? How about QA? Finance and accounting?

In any event, and just as a security measure, you need to get your CV out and up to date. Who knows when everything will go belly up or if you will be targeted for the scapegoat on the next disaster.


JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[KENAT]

Cuttie, our place only backs up once a day, about the same time as yours. So if work is created and lost in the same day then there is no back up.

However, at most one days work is lost.

If what your IT guy says is true then again, at most one days work was lost.

If more work than that was lost then your IT guy is fibbing.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[ewh]

Has anyone done a file search on the server for the folder? Or are they just looking at the visible folder structure?
Our DDC Administrator recently moved a released directory without realizing it. When we came in the next morning there was chaos, as no one could find what they had been working with the previous day. We called our IT guy in to restore the backup, but he poked around first, doing a server search for a file that we knew had existed in the directory. He found it, located in a directory folder immediately below where the missing directory folder had been. It appears that the DDC administrator had highlighted the folder, changed her mind but kept her finger on the button too long as she proceeded to move to the next folder. It resulted in the released directory being moved into that next folder. How she didn't notice what was happening still hasn't been figured out, but everything was sucessfully restored to its proper location. She DID NOT receive a dressing down, as it was figured she had learned her lesson. Our IT guy was very understanding.
As KENAT posted, the worse that should happen is the loss of a single days work. If not, management should be made aware that if proper backups are not being made, ALL of the data on the server can easily be permanently lost if the server hard drive should give out. I have seen it happen, and it wasn't cheap to restore that data; most of it was totally lost. Of course, we have since rectified that situation.


When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. - [small]Thomas Jefferson [/small]