This is all about when a job goes wrong, when corporate America is left to run things with no responsibility whatsoever. Please feel free to comment and commiserate. I'm sure I'll be in need of a co-author to the book this just _has_ to become.

28 September 2007

Just Say No To Crack... Berry

I get maybe three calls a month on my corporate cell phone. In fact, I don't even take it home with me. As far as I'm concerned, the little electronic leash is an intrusion on my time.
Well, now BigHugeCo has decreed that all IT personnel will carry Blackberries.

Actually, all IT personnel will receive Blackberries. I suspect I'm going back to carrying only one cell phone, the little LG phone I got when I switched to ATT ('cuz Verizon was a bit pricey at the time.)

I'm not sure why BigHugeCo wants me to carry one of these pieces of shit. They don't pay me enough for 24/7 access. And there's nothing people can call me for on the weekend that I help with unless I'm in the office.

"But, Jim, don't y0u want to be fully connected?"

Not really. There's a reason I enjoy vacationing in West Virginia and Southeast Ohio. No cell phone or Internet access!

I'm sorry, but there really is nothing that important that anyone needs to get a hold of me that fast. Publishing? If Svetlana got an offer today for Road Rules, I most likely would not know about it until Monday. It would take me a few days to ponder whether I want to accept it or not. And that assumes Svetlana and her partner aren't holding back a few days to mull it over themselves. (15% of this hypothetical offer would be theirs. 15% of a turkey is still a turkey.) Then we'd have to negotiate, which would take weeks. All in all, nothing warranting an emergency call.

Family? My brother and in-laws know where to find me. Beyond that, you don't need to know.

"But, Jim, how can your employer reach you on vacation?"

Why would I want them to do that? I'm on vacation.

Someday soon, I will be completely freelance. Writing, web design, other nefarious misdeeds people will pay me for.

Then BigHugeCo can have back their overpriced, underused Crackberry.
Assuming I haven't sold it on eBay.