Disappointing day to say the least...

t1rhinot1rhino Toronto
edited October 2004 in Folding@Home
It has been a very disappointing day.
A user complained that some process (fahcore78.exe) was killing their system performance. Mind you this person probably only uses MS office, and they think that they are some computer guru. :rolleyes:
Anyways, he emailed my boss (head of IT), and the network admin.
Needless to say, it was strongly recommended that I remove all instances of folding from the domain within 15 minutes. :eek2:

Well, I was able to do it within 15 minutes, but man am I pissed!!!

It is also looking very doubtful that I will be able to re-deploy folding at a later time. :bawling:

Atleast I still have my job. :)

Comments

  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    How could he even tell that process was hurting anything?? :(


    Glad it wasn't any worse, anyway...
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    Oh man.... That happened to me once. A client was letting me run it, and then a user complained that "peachtree was running slow" (in all actuality it was a peachtree problem - since fixed with a patch)... Boom, he says "well looks like that folding has to go"....

    :(
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    folding is what every NON intelegent person whom is running F@H blames system slow downs on
  • t1rhinot1rhino Toronto
    edited October 2004
    General Keebler wrote:
    How could he even tell that process was hurting anything?? :(

    Task Manager said it was using 99% cpu. :rolleyes:
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    explain yea but the reason it was using that much is because the rest of the apps only require 1% asshats
  • LincLinc Owner Detroit Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    t1rhino wrote:
    Task Manager said it was using 99% cpu. :rolleyes:
    There are few things more infuriating than a person who won't listen to an explanation. :grr: Your IT manager just went with it that fast?
  • DexterDexter Vancouver, BC Canada
    edited October 2004
    Ya, I had that happen here, but at least it was only on one of the systems I am folding on. The user had reams of spyware / adware on her system, which I cleaned off, but someone else tried to have a look at it for her first, and didn''t know what fahcore was, or why it kept coming back if they killed the process (installed as service.) Even though I explained what it was and that it was not impairing performance at all, I was asked to take it off that box, so bye-bye a couple hundred points a week. :(

    Most people don't understand about low-priority background tasks, and how the computer can drop that 99% usage to 09% faster than they can even think about blinking....

    I bet if you HJT scanned that user's system, you'd find half a dozen pieces of crap that actually is slowing their system down, and invading their privacy in the process....in fact, I highly encourage you to do exactly that, post the log for our review, and then e-mail the answers to your employers, along with a link to the review linked at Stanford showing no noticeable performance hit.

    Dexter...
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    You'd think one of the most prestigious research universities in the United States would be convincing. :rolleyes:
  • csimoncsimon Acadiana Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    t1rhino wrote:
    Task Manager said it was using 99% cpu. :rolleyes:
    Then they had absolutley nothing using cpu processes!

    Sorry to hear about that T1 ...must have been a real disappointment.
    Check in on them on Wednesday and ask how everything is running now!!! LOL
    I bet it's no different.
  • redoulentredoulent Michigan
    edited October 2004
    Man that had to be scary. All it takes is one dumb person to cost a competent person their job. Some companies have a policy of an incident like that being career fatal. Like in an outsourcing situation if that user belongs to one company and your company is paid to do their IT work. Then stupid user 1 calls his/her boss and complains about process x and he's running slow, then that boss mentions to his/her boss, and on up to a dangerous level. Then Big Cheese 1 calls equivalent at outsourcing company and complains. Big Cheese 2 drops the axe to avoid company liability and appease Big Cheese 1.

    It happens. It happened to me, but not because of folding. My boss, fortunately, knew it was complete BS and moved me to a new account without anyone else knowing. Then my boss told the customer I had been removed as they requested.

    Glad to hear you came out ok T1! My condolences to the cause...
  • t1rhinot1rhino Toronto
    edited October 2004
    The IT manager is one of those people that will do anything to shutup the end user, even if it might not make sense.
    I plan on scanning his computer, and one other where domain admins have been removed from the local admin group by 'someone'. I suspect (or hope)it might be him as well.

    Anyways, I am on vacation next week for my 1st anniversary. I will check when I get back.
  • KingFishKingFish
    edited October 2004
    Sorry to hear about your plight T1. It appears to be incompetence in action on the managerial level. I've always thought how I would deal with that if it ever came up. I'm prepared to run benchmarks before and after folding to show them. If the person in charge refuses to listen though you're just screwed anyway from the first minute. I can't wait until we deploy a program like 'xp lock' or 'full armor' to prevent the stupid end users from opening task manager in the first place. I hope you can convince your boss to your favor in the future. It sure was a good run T1.

    KF
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited October 2004
    Man, this really sucks, t1! :bawling: I hope that when you get back and go look at those computers that this asshat was complaining about being slow, you find that this asshat is the one who installed something that slowing it down or it's infected with the mother of all malware infections and you can turn the tables on him.

    It's really sad to hear about stuff like this. :shakehead
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited October 2004
    I work with some people like that, they refuse to let education spoil their day.
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited October 2004
    im all for folding here but..

    Did you have permission from "management" to being using their computers for your non-work related project? From the sounds of it no. You are damn lucky you have a job.

    When I was doing IT I ran a folding farm, never ever on a end user machine, I just had 2 cubicles in a locked office, 1 for me, 1 for the 6 machines I had folding. If a machine had to go out, then I removed all instances of folding from the rig.
  • ketoketo Occupied. Or is it preoccupied? Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    That's almost like when I almost got fired by a couple of otherwise pretty intelligent managers at the Fortune 500 (50, really) company I used to work for, for using the word 'niggardly' IN ITS PROPER AND UNMISTAKABLE CONTEXT in an off the cuff talk I was giving to a group of about 30 employees. I was on the hotseat and made to explain myself for QUITE some time. I was more offended than anyone else there could possibly have been LEARN THE FREAKIN LANGUAGE you morons.

    Just sayin, I can empathize.

    P.S. niggardly = cheapskate; "petty in giving or spending". No relation to the racial slur whatsoever, different heritage entirely.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    OMG but it SOOOOUNDS like the word.
  • rykoryko new york
    edited October 2004
    keto- you should know that in a professional environment any word(s) or expression(s) that could possibly be concived as offensive in anyway to anyone should be avoided. I mean there are other words you could have used....

    some politician got in trouble for using the same word a couple of years ago, but I can't remember who it was. the point is that the word "niggardly" is an antiquated term. it is rarely in use anymore....it's like that simpsons when bart keeps using '30s slang.

    i also have a hard time believing that niggardly is totaly unrelated to the other word. time to check the latin roots and do a little research...

    this whole thing reminds of a court case i heard about where these people were suing all of the major hdd companies becuase of the slave/master naming convention thing, and how they found it offensive. it didn't matter the actual meaning or context of the words, just that they were offensive. i believe they settled out of court for an undiclosed amount. too bad for SATA or they would have gotten a lot more money.

    it just goes to show you that in the politically correct world (i.e. the professional business world) you had better be careful of what you say and what you do b/c you never know who might take something the wrong way... just like the idiot who told on t1
  • EyesOnlyEyesOnly Sweden New
    edited October 2004
    If i'm not mistaking though t1 did have permission to install fah.
  • dragonV8dragonV8 not here much New
    edited October 2004
    Sorry to hear what has happened to you t1. As you say, you still have your job.

    It's a shame so many people thrive on ignorance.
  • t1rhinot1rhino Toronto
    edited October 2004
    I did have verbal acceptance from my manager, and had an understanding that it would continue unless it started causing problems.
    The only time I have noticed a server running slow, was because it had 8 clients folding big units (150mb RAM each). The server was still usable, just a little slower opening explorer. :D
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited October 2004
    Damn there goes like 120k a month.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited October 2004
    But the important thing is that t1 still has his job, and now he needs to try to find something on the asshat who bitched machines; hopefully he'll find some p2p crap on that asshat's machines so he can get said asshat in deep caca. :D
  • KingFishKingFish
    pencils in new word to vocabulary
    edited October 2004
    pencils in new word to vocabulary
  • DanGDanG I AM CANADIAN Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    At least you still have your job.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited October 2004
    How would your boss react if you politely requested that he/she check out the F@H forums to get the real scoop on the issue. I realize that this is a longshot, since the current management technique (everywhere) seems to favor quick, global, and decisive action as opposed to studied consideration.

    If you can find a way to convince the boss that Folding is not a problem maybe you would be allowed to restore it on the computers whose users have had no complaint and give permission.

    Again, it's a longshot. But if that works and there are lots of people saying that they had no problem with it, it might be more evidence that the fool who whined to begin with is the real problem.

    I think Mudd's idea is worth looking into as well. :D

    Hope you are enjoying the week off to celebrate your anniversary. :)
  • redoulentredoulent Michigan
    edited October 2004
    Congratulations on your first anniversary. Mine was June 21st of this year!

    :celebrate
  • JustinJustin Atlanta
    edited October 2004
    I had my box at Homebanc folding and I got fired on the spot for transmitting signal. When I tried to explain things, they told me that they broke the information down to packet level and I was transmitting sensitive material like SS#s and crap like that. Really, they were just using that as justification for downsizing without alerting the shareholders. Funny, 100+ people fired for different random, imaginary reasons all in the same month. Chance, I think not... :shakehead
  • redoulentredoulent Michigan
    edited October 2004
    Actually, they might have seen what appeared to be social security numbers. I use a privacy protection piece of Zone Alarm Pro. I filled out the Information Vault so it knew what to protect. It flagged folding@home as trying to transmit my social security number. I thought it was strange at the time.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited October 2004
    Yeah several other people have said it was trying to transmit SS #s, esp people with Zone Alarm.
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