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For the IT staff, the fact that your computer slows down is an externality; it is not their problem. If the anti-virus can catch a few viruses and doesn't resu

For the IT staff, the fact that your computer slows down is an externality; it is not their problem. If the anti-virus can catch a few viruses and doesn't result in many help-desk tickets, then it makes their lives easier. Cleaning up a virus is a tedious task, as even a simple re-imaging can take a while, and that's if you can use a standard image. They also don't know how smart their users are. Some of them are great, and might read HN, but others will go download any game or smiley pack they can find. If IT staff were paid based on how smoothly the computers run, they might have a different opinion. Their current goal is usually just to make sure it runs at all.

furyg3 16y ago
> Their current goal is usually just to make sure it runs at all. Indeed. I'm the lead of the "IT Staff" at a small non-profit (~70 users) running mostly on second-hand desktops. Two-thirds of our staff is unpaid, usually interns who are here a few days a week for 3 months, and then they're gone and someone new takes their place. Training proper computer behavior is hard. So... we run A/V (not McAffee), because we have to. We also lock down the systems hard, not because I think that's a nice thing to do to your users, but because we have to. Imaging all these different desktop models is difficult, and we have very limited resources for doing re-imaging/re-installs/virus cleaning/whatever. My goal is to enable you to sit down at your computer and be able to perform your job. A 20% performance hit on all computers is worth it if it means that 20% of the computers aren't down for maintenance. :)
- watmough 16y ago
  There are a couple of ways to address the virus problem besides installing anti-virus on Windows. Here's a few things I'd consider if I wanted to run an office with minimal computer support: - run the LTS Ubuntu instead of Windows - maybe run OS X, on Mac Minis if buying new hardware - install one Windows terminal server for critical Windows-only software - lock down firewall to permit only whitelisted web-sites - run locally hosted (I believe this is possible) Google Docs as office software Windows virus problems, people surfing Facebook, porn, you-tube, Twitter etc., will suck away time in an office if you don't get some kind of a handle on it. I hate offices where stuff is super locked-down, but put in charge, I'd want to screw things down pretty tight. Obviously developers, salespeople might be somewhat of an exception... it's a hard call to make.

furyg3 16y ago

> Their current goal is usually just to make sure it runs at all. Indeed. I'm the lead of the "IT Staff" at a small non-profit (~70 users) running mostly on second-hand desktops. Two-thirds of our staff is unpaid, usually interns who are here a few days a week for 3 months, and then they're gone and someone new takes their place. Training proper computer behavior is hard. So... we run A/V (not McAffee), because we have to. We also lock down the systems hard, not because I think that's a nice thing to do to your users, but because we have to. Imaging all these different desktop models is difficult, and we have very limited resources for doing re-imaging/re-installs/virus cleaning/whatever. My goal is to enable you to sit down at your computer and be able to perform your job. A 20% performance hit on all computers is worth it if it means that 20% of the computers aren't down for maintenance. :)

watmough 16y ago
There are a couple of ways to address the virus problem besides installing anti-virus on Windows. Here's a few things I'd consider if I wanted to run an office with minimal computer support: - run the LTS Ubuntu instead of Windows - maybe run OS X, on Mac Minis if buying new hardware - install one Windows terminal server for critical Windows-only software - lock down firewall to permit only whitelisted web-sites - run locally hosted (I believe this is possible) Google Docs as office software Windows virus problems, people surfing Facebook, porn, you-tube, Twitter etc., will suck away time in an office if you don't get some kind of a handle on it. I hate offices where stuff is super locked-down, but put in charge, I'd want to screw things down pretty tight. Obviously developers, salespeople might be somewhat of an exception... it's a hard call to make.