[Liverpool] Software freedom (problems at the University)

[Tim Dobson]

Ah, ok, I misinterpreted your primary aim.

I had assumed it was "get connected" but I see now it is change the
TOS/the way they work.

I still stand by my comments with regards to how best to achieve this;
try and become their friend.

The people who implement the policy, are probably not the people who
wrote it. The best route is to find those who wrote it and those who
have the power to change it, and see if they can see where you're coming
from.

Again, I'd recommend a "softly, softly" approach with short, concise,
friendly emails with offers of talk on the phone or meeting face to face.

Policy won't change fast, and don't expect it to, but it is possible to
change through friendly correspondence with the right person.

Tim

Vladimir wrote:
> You see, Tim, as the person who used to admin a network myself, I do
> understand the
> magic of the crate of beer. The problem here is that after I will get my
> linux laptop
> connected, the rest is not about me and the BOFH. It's about /policy/.
> That policy they
> seem use as a magic get-out wand. As soon as they are pointed to what is
> not right
> in their actions they shout /policy/! So I can't buy a crate of beer to
> the policy, do I?
> The problem is that there's no access to see what this policy is. Maybe
> Dave could
> enlighten me on this matter? And seeing the TOS would be nice too. As
> for them -
> I think that the TOS are simply non-existant. What I know for sure is
> that refusing
> to connect my Linux system on the basis that it is on the hardware they
> don't like
> or that it had an operating system of a wrong type in the past violates
> my student rights,
> as their wages are paid from my pocket.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2009/12/18 Tim Dobson <lists at tdobson.net <mailto:lists at tdobson.net>>
> 
>     Dave Love wrote:
>     > Vladimir <vladimir.jakubovskij at gmail.com
>     <mailto:vladimir.jakubovskij at gmail.com>> writes:
>     >
>     >> But I want to teach them a lesson.
>     >> I need a laptop of any sort for a couple of days - to change the
>     mac addr so it matches the
>     >> hw addr of my macbook, to walk in there, register, close the lid
>     of the Linux laptop,
>     >> open the macbook, and say - Hello, you've been framed :D
>     >
>     > You might be more careful what you say in public, no matter how stupid
>     > you think people in Computing Services and their rules are -- just a
>     > suggestion.  Merely annoying your BOFH is rarely a good idea, let
>     alone
>     > posting something like that potentially in front of them, and I assure
>     > you they don't need lessons on MAC addresses.  If nothing else,
>     consider
>     > that this sort of thing (archived) may not give a good impression
>     of the
>     > group, and doesn't help any effort to improve support for non-Windows
>     > users in the university in case everyone is tarred with the same
>     brush.
> 
>     +1
> 
>     From [painful and unpleasant] experience, it's generally a case of the
>     Sun and the Wind[1] with Sysadmins, or anyone for that matter. Be
>     aggressive in your manner, you'll not easily get a cooperative response,
>     be understanding
> 
>     Teaching people lessons is often tempting but it often makes your
>     primary objective - getting xyz done, less likely.
> 
>     The end user who gives them a crate of beer for all the help and
>     assistance they've given him over the semester probably stands a much
>     greater chance of establishing cooperation than someone who writes
>     emails to them telling them they are wrong.
> 
>     Well, anyway, that's my opinion anyway.
> 
>     Tim
> 
>     [1] http://www.rickwalton.com/folktale/bryant21.htm
> 
> 
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