Man sacked for hunting ET at work

[Force Flow]

A computer programmer at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services was last week sacked after running Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) software on his bosses' server, wcpo.com reports. Charles E. Smith, 63, claimed that it wasn't a problem since he was only running the SETI programme between 7pm and 7am and at weekends. Department director Tom Hayes clearly didn't see it like that, and showed Smith the door. Hayes later displayed the kind of biting wit which was doubtless instrumental in his rise to power at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services when he said of Smith: "I understand his desire to search for intelligent life in outer space, because obviously he doesn't find it in the mirror in the morning. I think that people can be comfortable that security has beamed this man out of our building." Wcpo.com has attempted to contact Smith but he has to date proved as elusive as ET.

~From TheRegister.com

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10...ti_man_sacked/

[nubbler]

"I understand his desire to search for intelligent life in outer space, because obviously he doesn't find it in the mirror in the morning. I think that people can be comfortable that security has beamed this man out of our building."

Nice .

[bigandy]

I guess he was trying to do some good, but he definitely should have talked about it with the management before just putting it on and running it. Maybe they still say no, but at least he still has a job.

[nubbler]

Originally Posted by bigandy I guess he was trying to do some good, but he definitely should have talked about it with the management before just putting it on and running it. Maybe they still say no, but at least he still has a job.

That's always a good idea!

[Strider]

Don't feel a bit sorry for him, it's not his computer and even though he was doing it on off hours it still wasn't right to run SETI without permission. I wouldn't (Can't anyways) install anything on my company's computer without permission.

[WolfPac_Ite]

I agree, it wasn't his server, although maybe the boss was a little harsh(unless he didn't like him)?

[Force Flow]

wolf, check the last post date

[MichaelS]

I don't know if sacking him was the appropriate decision, but there has to be a strict penalty for running 'alien' software on a Government servers/computers.

Part of the problem is that these distributed computing applications (i.e. SETI/F@H) are closed-source. I understand their attempt to protect the integrity of their data, but we have no idea truely whether these programs have spyware embedded... We trust that the authors are reputable, and probably are.

Personally, I would NEVER install anything foreign/unapproved on a Server that holds confidential information. If information leaks out, you better have a way of saving your butt from a ton of lawsuits... This is particularily true now days when privacy is at stake more then ever.

Regards,

Michael

[Panama Red]

Ah yes! Another Phoenix thread, rising from the ashes! This is old news guys, check the date, as FF said above.