I put this in the pit because it bothers me a bit.
How to tell if you are a lowly grunt or if you are a grunt held in higher esteem…
Is your computer facing away from the ‘traffic stream’ or toward it. In other words, when someone walks by or enters your office/cube can they see your computer screen?
If they can see your computer screen, you are a lowly grunt. Don’t believe me? Look at people in higher positions in the company. Umm Hummm… Now, try to position your computer so that it is away from traffic like theirs and see what resistance you get…
I’ve always noticed this but today I’ve seen it tested. Someone in the company moved to a new cube and set up the cube/computer themselves. He set it up to where his screen was away from traffic. All of a sudden, higher ups started popping by and bringing up reasons why his computer should be moved (so that screen faced traffic). They never stated that as a reason but his new space practically forced him to set it up the way he did.
He countered their reasons and stuck to his guns. Just a short while ago, the VP stopped in and told him that he needs to switch it. To me, this was the smoking gun that there is an unwritten policy in the company about this.
Every single person in my company ‘above’ me in level (I am like middle management) has their computer so that entering their area you cannot see the screen.
FWIW, my computer faces ‘sideways’ and I manage an area. Hmmmmm…wonder what would happen if I redesigned my office…worth testing. That way I can find out what they think of me
I took the test and I’m both a lowly grunt and not a lowly grunt. I’ve got two 'puters on my desk. One faces the door of my office and the other doesn’t.
My computer is sideways to the stream of traffic that passes by my humble cube.
Why is it that everyone that passes by must look in? Why are they looking at me? What do they want? They think I don’t see, but I do. I do! I see them from the corner of my left eye. I see them walk past and look into my cube! What are they looking for? What do they see? I must know before it is too late!
I’ve got to check my meds, 'cause apparently I’m dual-personality who logs off as Bruce_Daddy and then back on as Blackclaw and. . . well now I’m confused. . .
If that’s true they should combine our post counts. And you should stop running up your post count talking to yourself or me or however that works out.
And lay off the meds. It’s harder for me to control you when you’re on them.
I too have noticed people must sneak a peek into my office whenever they pass by. When there’s a big group of people entering the building I feel like a fish in a fucking aquarium.
And now that I think about it, I work out of 3 different offices and in each one, my computer is facing traffic. Apparently, I’m a major peon.
Behold the exception! I am a lowly grunt in my company (helpdesk monkey). However, my monitor faces away from traffic. This is probably because I sit at a workstation thingy, and need to be able to face people over a counter-sort of structure as they tell me their tales of computer woe. This means that everybody can see what I am doing, but nobody can see what my computer is doing.
Gawd, how ridiculous. (Although I understand why they do it. Cuz we peons can’t be trusted, either to be working when we’re at work, or to keep confidential info we might see on a Big Wig’s PC… )
But, fer the love of Jehovah, if they want to know what you’re doing on your computer, it’s not like they have to be able to see your monitor to find out.
Okay… not let me surf the SDMB for another hour and then I swear I’ll get back to work…
I used to work for a very high up guy in my last company. But not the highest.
Anyhoo… whenever my boss was out, I would have many an occasion to be on his computer. Being that I was his assistant, and all, and responsible for making things run smoothly when he wasn’t there.
Now, I don’t believe in turning on lights unless you have to, so when I would be working on his PC, I wouldn’t turn on his office light (since I was only going to be popping in and then popping right back out).
Everytime I did that, I swear his boss would find reason to walk past his office and “look in” on me to see what I was doing. One time as I and the assistant to the Vice Chair were looking for something in his office, he made some joke about calling my boss and letting him know we were looking thru his desk!
Um… Hello??? I’m his freakin’ assistant! Did you or did you not hire me to do a job where I am routinely exposed to confidential information??? Good god, go ahead and tell him I was - gasp!!! - saving things to his drive or - egads! - checking his freakin’ email!!! :smack:
Where do I fit in? The plane of my screen lies exactly on the line of sight from the hallway into my office; people who look in the door see the side of my monitor. So am I a grunt or a god?
Gee. Not only is my monitor in plain sight of everyone in the office, I also have only a two-wall cubicle that opens into a high traffic area. I have my back to the kitchen and the bathroom is to the left of me.
I think I must be the lowliest grunt in the office.
I have always assumed this. But then again there are advantages to both. If the masses can’t look at your computer screen, you could be looking at porn and everyone would think your are excitedly working. If your comptuer is visable to the world then your eyes arn’t, so you can pull up a work doc, close your eyes and think of porn, again everyone would think your working.
Anyway If I were to be crammed into a cardboard box, I mean a cubical I would do whatever I can to reposition the computer so it is not visable to the masses.
I’m in Alma’s position. My cubicle has only two walls, and I’m right outside the kitchen and the conference room. Then again, I’m reminded every day at work that I’m at the bottom of the corporate ladder.
Let’s see –
Main system: My back is to the door, so one could feasibly see the screen around me. But, to get to my door you need a numerical key code to get through the outer door. The key code thing beeps, and my door is usually closed, so no worries. Can you say ‘Window+M’ ?
Guest system: Screen is sideways to the door. Possibly visible from the semi-mirrored window, if someone were to put their nose against it.
KVM to Servers: Only possibly visible from window, similar to the guest system.
Mobile System(s): Depends on which way you turn it!
Did I mention I have 5 computers with 9 monitors in my office? Plus a KVM to 6 servers.
Of course the main clue that I’m a boss-type is my ability and frequent use of PC Anywhere to view and control one of my other 22 computers.
Funny, I’ve thought about the psychology of this myself.
I’ve always been one to face the door (i.e. the computer faces away from the door). Even though this often means less room in the office, because that means your desk sits in the middle of the room rather than against a wall.
I do this because I want to be able to see what people are doing in my office and outside the office, as what they are doing and saying (and what I say to them) is important to me. I’ve found that people that intentionally face their computer so that they look away from the door (or cubicle entrance) tend to concentrate more on their work at the computer, and view people in the office (or outside) as distractions from that work.
Which I’ve always felt was one sign of who is designed for management (i.e. views the people as the work), and who isn’t (i.e. views the “work” as the work).
Now, try to position your computer so that it is away from traffic like theirs and see what resistance you get…
